President wears no abaya

President Park Geun-hye, waits for Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef at King Saud’s palace in Riyad, Tuesday (local time). Park’s translator is seen dressed in a full-length black robe, known as abaya, and a headscarf to observe Saudi Arbia’s strict religious dress code policies. / Yonhap

By Kang Seung-woo

Before President Park Geun-hye began her trip to four Middle Eastern nations on Sunday, many wondered whether she would follow the dress code in conservative Saudi Arabia.

Women in the desert kingdom, noted for its strict religious policies, must wear full-length black robes, known as abaya, and a headscarf in public and the Muslim state requires female foreigners to observe the dress code.

Otherwise, the Saudi religious police, known as mutaween, enforce local protocol and inflict punishment, including possible detention and arrest.

However, Korea and Saudi Arabia reached an understanding that President Park would not wear the Saudi traditional dress as a courtesy to a head of state on an official visit.

Park is not the only high-profile figure to expose her head in a public appearance.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former U.S. Secretary of Staff Hillary Clinton left their hair uncovered on visits to Saudi Arabia. Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State, and former First Lady Laura Bush also joined the list.

Despite a Saudi request, the Presidential Security Service refused to abide by the dress code due to possible problems in protecting the President.

“There is no precedent that the President’s body guards have worn a cloak and it could restrict their activities, which would trigger a security concern,” said an official of Cheong Wa Dae.

Although Park did not wear an abaya in a summit with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Tuesday, she dressed conservatively, wearing a dark gray suit that fully covered her arms and legs the rest of the time.

Park’s non-security female staff and reporters observed the dress code.

Recently, U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama took some flak on social media for not observing this during a brief visit to the kingdom.

In January, she and U.S. President Barack Obama flew to Saudi Arabia to attend the funeral of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, and met with the new king without covering her hair although she dressed conservatively in black pants and a long jacket.