The dreaded “wardrobe malfunction” has long been a popular ploy for publicity in the West - just combine a skimpy dress, a voluptuous actress and a flock of hungry paparazzi, and let nature take its course. But now it seems that “accidental” nudity is coming to Korea.
Last month at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival, young actress Yeo Min-jung was walking the red carpet and waving to the crowd at the festival opening when suddenly, to everyone’s surprise, one of the thin straps of her dress slipped off her shoulder, revealing one breast covered only by a compression bandage.
After the incident, Yeo’s name immediately jumped to the top of major keywords searched for online, as Internet users hotly argued whether the dress incident was an accident at all - for her part, Yoon claimed she meant to reveal her thong accidentally-on-purpose, but the breast was a legitimate malfunction.
Whether it was an accident or not, soon everyone knew the obscure actress’s name, which surely was her goal.
Yeo was hardly the only one to use a bit of skin to get publicity. At the Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2012, actress Ha Na-kyung fell on the red carpet, exposing one breast. And Bae So-eun’s revealing dress at the 2012 Busan International Film Festival opening may not have malfunctioned, but it captured plenty of attention.
Many consider the starting point for this trend to have been actress Oh In-hye, who wore a scarlet dress that barely covered her nipples at the 2011 Busan International Film Festival. But despite the publicity Oh earned, critics point out that it did little to help her career. Aside from a few extra appearances on variety shows, Oh has had few roles in film or on TV, and those were pretty minor.
In Korea, when celebrities (especially female celebrities) use their bodies for publicity, it is commonly called “sexy marketing.”
“Fame earned by sexy marketing comes easily but that fame doesn’t last long,” said Ha Jae-keun, a Korean culture critic, adding that “sexy marketing deteriorates the quality of Korean public culture.”
It also appears that showing skin is a marketing technique with diminishing returns. “Oh In-hye was only an issue for a short time,” said Park Eun-jeong, a 17-year-old student, “and after her sexy dress, I didn’t see her in any movies or news articles related to anything other than her sexiness. I guess that’s why nobody really remembers her very well anymore.”
