[Photo] Public middle and high schools in Seoul to dispel restrictions for hair color and length next year

Students of public schools in Seoul have long been subjected to restrictions regarding the length and color of their hair. Hair dyeing is often strictly prohibited, while both girls and boys are required to keep their hair within a certain length. Students in the old days will tell you horror stories of having their hair chopped off on school grounds. On Sept. 27, however, Cho Hee-yeon, superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE), announced that students of public middle and high schools will be able to dye and grow their hair however they wish starting next year. Cho referred to growing and dying one’s hair as a “basic right.”