Gyeonggi Province to phase out formal school uniforms in favor of casual wear

The formal suit-style school uniform that students have worn for four decades is set to disappear.

Gyeonggi Province Education Superintendent Ahn Min-seok held a parent consultation forum Wednesday at the province's southern administrative office to discuss a sweeping overhaul of school uniform culture. "It is unreasonable to provide 400,000 won ($280) in support for formal uniforms that students do not even wear," he said, adding that the office would build a practical uniform culture based on three principles: eliminating low-quality uniforms, rooting out corruption in the uniform industry, and reducing the administrative burden on schools.

Ahn then signed the "Great Transformation of Uniform Culture toward Comfortable Uniforms" plan as his third official policy decision since taking office.

The current formal uniform dates to 1986, when school uniforms were reintroduced after a period of liberalization. Uniform manufacturers rolled out suit-style designs that quickly became widely popular, and by the 1990s K-pop idol groups were appearing in uniform advertisements. Casual-style uniforms were virtually nonexistent until the mid-2000s, when growing complaints about the discomfort of formal uniforms gradually gave rise to more relaxed alternatives.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education introduced a free uniform policy in 2018, providing 300,000 won per incoming middle and high school student, and expanded the subsidy to 400,000 won in 2024. The support is provided in kind, paid directly to the uniform vendor from which a student makes a purchase.

In practice, however, most schools have already moved away from formal uniforms — wearing them only for entrance and graduation ceremonies — and have adopted casual uniforms in response to complaints about poor quality. Currently, 969 of the province's 1,158 middle and high schools, or 83.7 percent, use a mix of casual and formal uniforms.

Students, parents and school staff who attended Wednesday's forum all voiced support for a full transition to casual uniforms, citing their greater ease of movement and everyday practicality.

Meanwhile, the provincial education office plans to establish a "high-quality uniform task force" — comprising textile experts, parents and school staff — alongside a uniform corruption reporting center to weed out substandard vendors. Schools that adopt the office's standard-design uniform will have their procurement handled centrally by local education support offices, easing the administrative load on individual schools.