Defense Ministry to scrap hair length limits for civilian defense workers

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense has decided to abolish hair length restrictions applied to civilian defense workers.

According to the ministry Thursday, guidelines were recently issued to each branch of the military directing them to revise hair regulations for civilian defense workers.

Under the new guidelines, civilian defense workers must keep their hair neat, but no length restrictions will be imposed. Each branch is to work out the details in line with its own circumstances, taking the civilian status of defense workers into account.

Currently, the military applies the same hair regulations to civilian defense workers — who hold civilian status — as it does to active-duty service members.

The Army, for example, requires male civilian defense workers to cut their hair in the standard officer style, with the sides not touching the ears and the back not reaching the collar.

Last year, a civilian defense worker received a pay-cut disciplinary action for failing to comply with the hair regulations, sparking debate over whether applying the same rules to civilian workers as to active-duty military personnel was appropriate.