'Dress like dentistry students' rule sparks backlash

What are dentistry students supposed to wear? At one of South Korea’s top universities, apparently, there are rules.

Three dental students at Yonsei University were made to write formal apology letters after violating the department's dress code on Aug. 27. The letters were then posted in lecture halls for other students to see, according to the Yonsei student newspaper.

One letter read, "I have been oblivious to the rules and duties of a dentistry student, all because of the hot weather and my own convenience," adding, "This is a shameful attitude for someone who is a prospective dentist." The two other letters contained similar apologies.

The dress code the three students violated was posted on the dentistry school's website in May 2025 under the title "Appropriate student dress code for dentistry school."

The rules ban short skirts, shorts and slippers, and require socks that cover the ankles. They apply to all students, both those already seeing patients and those who have yet to begin practical training, with the stated goal of helping students "gradually internalize the regulations."

After the letters went up in the lecture halls, some students criticized the move, arguing that the dress code itself was too strict and that publicly displaying the letters went too far.

Comments on the school's online community included remarks such as, "I understand why slippers are banned for safety reasons, but posting the apology letters in lecture halls is excessive. This is bullying."

Others questioned why the rules should apply to everyday campus life, rather than being limited to clinical training at the hospital.

Many also called the code "unreasonable" for banning shorts only for male students, pointing to a line in the announcement that reads: "Comfortable pants, dress shoes and sneakers are allowed, but short skirts, shorts (for male students) and slippers are not."

In response, the department said the measure was intended "to instill in students the mindset they must have as future healthcare workers."

At the same time, the school acknowledged the criticism, saying, "The rule was made a long time ago, and going forward, we will discuss it with students and consider revisions."