'Why not shorts?' — Ministry of Trade launches Cool-Biz campaign ahead of record summer heat

"Innovation doesn't have to be complicated!" "Why not shorts?" "The dignity of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy does not come from the length of your trousers."

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has launched a "Cool-Biz" campaign encouraging staff to wear shorts this summer as the country braces for record-breaking heat, drawing attention across the Sejong government district. The ministry recently posted banners and notices throughout its building promoting the initiative, which aims to boost workplace productivity and cut air-conditioning energy use through lighter clothing.

Vice Minister Moon Shin-hak personally added a message of support to one of the campaign banners — "I'm envious! Please, everyone, wear them! Vice Minister Moon Shin-hak." When the ministry's general affairs and welfare team briefed him on the idea last month, he told staff that showing up to briefings in shorts would be "more than welcome."

Ministry spokesperson Lee Yong-pil also lent his name to an AI-generated promotional poster, signing off on the shorts policy in a show of support.

The ministry's general affairs and welfare team organized the campaign to foster a more focused work environment during the summer heat and promote a flexible organizational culture. Running under the slogan "Why Not Shorts," the team produced a dress-code guide, promotional posters and display panels, and posted words of encouragement and signatures from senior officials to motivate staff participation.

The campaign runs through Aug. 31. However, the ministry issued guidelines asking staff to refrain from wearing shorts when meeting external customers in person or attending official events and meetings.

Major conglomerates — including Samsung, LG Corp, SK Corp, Hyundai Motor and Hanwha — have long adopted casual dress codes and already treat shorts as a matter of course.

Cool-Biz is already mainstream abroad. Japan launched a government-led Cool-Biz policy in 2005, encouraging workers to remove ties and jackets during summer, and achieved significant reductions in electricity consumption. In Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore and Thailand, short sleeves and polo shirts are standard attire given the climate.

Against that backdrop, the ministry's shorts campaign draws attention as a potential model for dress-code reform across South Korea's government offices.

"Cool-Biz means more than just relaxing the dress code," an official in the Sejong government district said. "It is an effective tool for improving work efficiency — wearing a formal suit and tie in sweltering heat actually undermines concentration."

The official added that the initiative also contributes to energy savings, noting that Japan's Ministry of the Environment announced last year that raising air-conditioning temperatures by 2 degrees Celsius through Cool-Biz adoption could cut electricity use by roughly 10 percent.