Honestly this just speaks to the different conversation around “sexy” costumes in KR vs the US. KR nurses fought to get rid of the old uniform in the 90s bc it was impractical. The pandemic has also raised the issue of how nurses are treated, esp bc they’re predominantly women. https://twitter.com/allkpop/status/1313696480096550912

The healthcare and medicine union also put out a statement on how this impacts nurses working long hours under threat of viral infection, who are also forced to combat a sexualized stereotype. https://twitter.com/kfhu980227/status/1313031077707931649

Male patients in particular feel entitled to call nurses “girl” or “lady” rather than “nurse,” and treat them as low-level service workers rather than medical professionals. Nursing is also the medical profession that is most exposed to sexual assault.

With this in mind, with these current lived realities of KOREAN nurses in mind - though these issues may ring true in many other places - think twice before you decry the criticism of this nurse outfit as “backward.” Maybe there’s a conversation you’re not privy to.

Personally, esp with everything going on, I think if Korean nurses (who are the ones directly “represented” and potentially impacted by that costume) put out such a statement you should maybe read that and not whine about how 8 seconds of MV are being cut.

“What kind of person thinks “heehee I’m gonna insult nurses!” That’s not what happened here. It’s scary bc it’s unintended and unconscious, how when they think “nurse” they think “sexy nurse” rather than “medical professional.” https://twitter.com/xlqptdudn/status/1313438786445959169?s=21

Kim Joo-hee, who also posted criticism of this outfit, is A LICENSED NURSE. SHE HAS LIVED IT. But K-pop fans on Google Translate are calling her a man and telling her she’s thinking like a rapist bc clearly you have no idea what she’s been through.

Literally a licensed medical professional who also ran for National Assembly as a member of the women’s party - which means she’s already exposed to a shitton of chauvinist hate - but Kpop fans obvi don’t give a shit ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ they’ll take the MRAs’ side on this no problem

WELLDONEKPOPFANSEMPOWERINGKOREANMRAsGOODJOB

Encourage everyone to read the Korean Healthcare and Medical Union's statement on the Blackpink "Lovesick Girls" music video, linked above and translated here

This is not a new complaint. It’s an ONGOING conversation. In late 2016 there was a similar argument from Korean nurses due to the rise of “sexy nurse costumes” for Halloween (which only became more popular in the past few years).

nursing__story is an Instagram account by a professional male nurse, who draws sketches of what it's like to be a nurse in Korea right now during the pandemic. In response to the MV controversy, he re-posted something he'd written in 2016.

"Nurses can't have cute loose hairdos
Nursing caps disappeared years ago
We can't grow nails and get cute gel nails
We can't walk around carrying our charts if we're in one piece outfits shaking our booty
We can't go around like zombies with blood on our scrubs"

"We can't wear heels and sprint
We don't listen to your heart go boom with kiddie stethoscopes
Our 50 CC enema syringes aren't used like you use them
I'm posting this bc I see what nurses go thru but ppl are sexualizing nurses with this weird Western festival (Halloween)"

"It's infuriating to see the "nurse" hashtag on Instagram. Why does my profession have to be treated like this?"

It's worth noting that Halloween is a v new "holiday" in Korea - the theme parks really only started doing Halloween events in 2016. This is relevant bc playing dress up, esp sexy dress up, is relatively new in Korea and therefore the "sexy nurse" trope is not familiar at all.

What a lot of nurses see with the cap & dress is an outdated image of nursing, where the "feminine" look was considered more important than their ability to do their jobs. The change began in 1991 at the Seoul National Univ Hospital where nurses collectively stopped wearing caps.

Honestly if the MV wanted to make a statement about nurses being strong women etc why did they use an outfit from the 70s ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ nurses out here saving lives every day they could have put Jennie in scrubs bc she looks great in anything

Man it literally took one google search

https://www.businessinsider.com/nurses-on-what-they-think-of-sexy-nurse-costumes-halloween

In 2017 MBC primetime drama “Hospital Ship” came under fire for its portrayal of nurses as gossipy, ineffectual characters, and nurses objected to one of the nurses (played by former AOA member Min-ah) wearing a short skirt. The drama changed her outfit. https://news.joins.com/article/21906112

2008, Lee Hyori comes under fire and deletes “sexy nurse” costume from the final edit of her You Go Girl music cideo