By Bahk Eun-ji
MBC's news anchor Lim Hyun-ju has ignited a debate about women going braless in public places that started after she appeared on live TV without a bra and spoke openly about it.
In the MBC program titled "Series M," which was aired on Thursday, Lim was shown preparing for a live television show without wearing a bra as a part of her participation in a "No Bra Day" challenge for the program.
Whether or not it is acceptable to go braless is one of the most contentious issues here in Korea. Some people claim wearing a bra is unhealthy for women as it puts undue pressure on the chest while others say it is simply inappropriate for a woman to go braless in public.
"I needed a bit of courage to participate in the challenge, because I felt strange without a bra at first. But I got used to it once I began shooting," Lim said.
She then said a lot of women want to go braless but are reluctant to do so because of social expectations.
"I feel sorry that there are still many people who don't feel comfortable when they see a woman who is not wearing a bra" Lim said.
When she shared the video clip of the show and her personal thoughts via her Instagram page after the challenge, many people left negative comments.
"Nobody really cares if you wear a bra or not. Why are you acting like such a child who only wants attention from others?" an online user commented on Lim's Instagram post. Another user also said "Did you necessarily have to host a live show without wearing a bra? I don't think it is an appropriate attitude for broadcasting a show."
However, there were also many people who cheered her on for her participation in the challenge.
"You should realize that your post encourages many women to enjoy being braless. I hope the social atmosphere will change soon so we can talk about this issue more comfortably," another person posted.
In a more recent post, Lim said she checked all the negative comments about her post.
"Sharing my thoughts and experiences through the challenge was pretty meaningful for me, considering the character of my job as a news presenter. I didn't jump to a conclusion as to whether going braless is good or bad, but it was a part of an experiment examining whether we, women should wear bras or not. Don't you think this has been a taboo that people don't want to discuss?" she said.
This is not the first time Lim has brought up issues related to women's right to choose what they wear by appearing on air with glasses in 2018. It was the first time in Korea that a female presenter had appeared on air wearing glasses despite male broadcasters frequently wearing them.
MBC's news anchor Lim Hyun-ju has ignited a debate about women going braless in public places that started after she appeared on live TV without a bra and spoke openly about it.
In the MBC program titled "Series M," which was aired on Thursday, Lim was shown preparing for a live television show without wearing a bra as a part of her participation in a "No Bra Day" challenge for the program.
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| Lim Hyun-ju, news presenter of local broadcaster MBC, appears wearing glasses on a news program in this April. 12, 2018 file photo. Her decision to wear glasses sparked debate online. Korea Times file |
"I needed a bit of courage to participate in the challenge, because I felt strange without a bra at first. But I got used to it once I began shooting," Lim said.
She then said a lot of women want to go braless but are reluctant to do so because of social expectations.
"I feel sorry that there are still many people who don't feel comfortable when they see a woman who is not wearing a bra" Lim said.
When she shared the video clip of the show and her personal thoughts via her Instagram page after the challenge, many people left negative comments.
"Nobody really cares if you wear a bra or not. Why are you acting like such a child who only wants attention from others?" an online user commented on Lim's Instagram post. Another user also said "Did you necessarily have to host a live show without wearing a bra? I don't think it is an appropriate attitude for broadcasting a show."
However, there were also many people who cheered her on for her participation in the challenge.
"You should realize that your post encourages many women to enjoy being braless. I hope the social atmosphere will change soon so we can talk about this issue more comfortably," another person posted.
In a more recent post, Lim said she checked all the negative comments about her post.
"Sharing my thoughts and experiences through the challenge was pretty meaningful for me, considering the character of my job as a news presenter. I didn't jump to a conclusion as to whether going braless is good or bad, but it was a part of an experiment examining whether we, women should wear bras or not. Don't you think this has been a taboo that people don't want to discuss?" she said.
This is not the first time Lim has brought up issues related to women's right to choose what they wear by appearing on air with glasses in 2018. It was the first time in Korea that a female presenter had appeared on air wearing glasses despite male broadcasters frequently wearing them.
