An Underage Schoolgirl as a Lingerie Model?

[ 12/21/2010 ]

‘A minor modeling underwear?’ An online underwear store has sparked controversy by using an underage fitting model. The store posted photos of a high school student who looks young enough to be mistaken for a middle school student, posing in underwear with her face visible. Critics say the store has gone too far, but current law offers no direct way to prohibit minors from modeling underwear. The student recently drew attention online as a “middle school fitting model” after internet users shared the photos, saying they had found a middle school student modeling underwear. The photos appeared on an online underwear store referred to as D. In them, the youthful-looking model wears a bra and panties and poses with playful expressions. Her young appearance and the junior-style underwear led viewers to assume she was in middle school. A “middle school underwear model” showing her face was so unusual that a surge of visitors temporarily overwhelmed the store’s website. It was later confirmed, however, that the model was born in 1994. According to a profile she posted on a job-search site, she is a 17-year-old high school student working in Daejeon. Critics say that even if she is in high school rather than middle school, it is inappropriate for a minor who needs parental consent to work to model revealing underwear. “I’ve seen minors model pajamas and other undergarments, but I’ve never seen one model such revealing underwear with her face fully visible,” one internet user said. “Does it really have to go this far with someone so young?” Yoon, the seller who runs D, said, “We hired her for a modeling job last summer, and I thought she was a second-year high school student. Because she looked young, we used her to model junior underwear aimed at teenagers.” Yoon added, “Products with photos showing a model’s face tend to sell better. There’s no law saying a high school student can’t model underwear, is there?” Nevertheless, concerned that the photos might cause problems, Yoon removed the model’s face from the store’s images. There is currently no law specifically prohibiting minors from modeling underwear. The Labor Standards Act bars the employment of people under 18 in work deemed morally or physically harmful or dangerous, and minors cannot be employed at certain restricted establishments, including adult entertainment bars. There is no specific provision barring minors from this type of work. An official at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family’s youth and family policy office said, “There are many ambiguities in deciding whether it is wrong for a minor to model underwear. The purpose seems to be what matters.” If the photos are intended to sell clothing, regulation may be difficult; if the images themselves are sold as sexual products, the Youth Protection Act could apply.