Park Jin-young's see-through top at National Assembly audit sparks debate

Appeared as witness at Wednesday's Ministry of Culture audit

Wore sheer brown top instead of white shirt and tie

Park Jin-young, co-chair of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee, arrives to appear as a witness at the National Assembly's audit of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, held by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on Wednesday. [Yonhap]

Park Jin-young, lead producer of JYP Entertainment and co-chair of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee, drew widespread attention after appearing at a National Assembly audit in a sheer, see-through top.

Park appeared Wednesday as a witness before the Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee during its audit of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, turning heads with his characteristically bold fashion choice.

Park Jin-young, co-chair of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee, enters the National Assembly through the public affairs office to appear as a witness at the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee's national audit on Wednesday. [Yonhap]

Park wore a gray striped jacket and trousers — not a matching suit, but neat in appearance. Beneath the jacket, however, he wore a brown, high-neck sheer top through which his chest muscles were clearly visible. The look suggested a deliberate effort to observe decorum while refusing to hide his flair.

The outfit stood in sharp contrast to the attire worn by other celebrities who have previously appeared as witnesses at National Assembly audits.

Kim Min-jong, co-chief executive of KC Contents, drew notice when he appeared in a white shirt and tie at a 2023 audit by the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee over the "K-Contents City" project in Songdo International City, Incheon. The singer and actor who had been a household name in the 1990s was barely recognizable in his formal business attire.

Kim Min-jong, singer, actor and co-chief executive of KC Contents, takes a witness oath at the National Assembly's audit by the Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee in Yeouido, Seoul, on Oct. 26, 2023. [Newsis]

Former idol singer Nam Tae-hyun and NewJeans member Hanni also wore white shirts when they appeared before the Assembly, showing deference to the institution that represents the public.

Kang Seong-pil, a former deputy spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, commented on Park's outfit Wednesday on MBN's "News Wide," saying, "It may be familiar in a broadcasting setting, but the National Assembly is a conservative place. I've never seen anything like it. It does feel a little out of place."

Hanni, a member of the group NewJeans, sits in thought after appearing as a reference witness at the National Assembly's audit by the Environment and Labor Committee in Yeouido, Seoul, on Oct. 15, 2024. [Newsis/National Assembly Press Photographers' Pool]

Kang added, however, that the outfit was acceptable given who was wearing it. "Park's role is co-chair of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee — he's a singer, a producer, a globally recognized figure. Because it's Park, there's no real problem, but it was certainly bold," he said.

People Power Party spokesperson Jo Yong-sul took a different view, saying the outfit "was not quite fitting for his official role."

Park has long been known for bold fashion choices during his peak years, including vinyl trousers and mesh tops. Kang's remark that "it's fine because it's Park" appears to reflect that well-established image.

Park also made headlines more than two decades ago when he wore a mesh shirt and leather trousers at a celebratory performance at Cheong Wa Dae in 2003.

Recounting that episode on MBC's "Jeonjijeokchamgyeon Sijeom" last August, Park said, "Korean society felt so suffocating back then." He said he had tried to change into a different outfit at Cheong Wa Dae but was stopped, and ultimately "went in without changing precisely because they told me not to." He added, "My thinking was, 'I'm a singer — so what?'"

At Wednesday's audit, Park explained why he took on the role of co-chair of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee. "I felt that K-pop, in its global rise, had hit a ceiling," he said. "I was deep in thought about how we could join forces, build a system together and create a platform to leap to the next level — and that's when the government approached me with a proposal to work together."

Asked why the trademark for the K-pop festival "Phenomenon" was filed under JYP Entertainment's name, Park pushed back against allegations of preferential treatment. "If we didn't do Phenomenon and each agency held its own separate performances, they would earn two to three times more. We set that aside and chose to make a sacrifice to do this together," he said. He acknowledged the filing process was not entirely normal, adding, "It would have been better to prepare everything calmly, but things were changing so fast over the past year for those of us working on the ground. JYP has a dedicated team, so we filed it in advance with the intention of handing it over to the government — that part was clearly not done in the right way, but we did it out of fear that someone might take the name."

jshan@heraldcorp.com