Seoul Global Center has canceled an underwear show at an entrepreneurs’ showcase after complaints about a lingerie show held at another business event.

A dispute erupted after a post titled “Sex and business in Korea ― a returning fashion?” appeared Nov. 22 on Korea Business Central, an online community focused on doing business in Korea.

The post by Mary Jane Liddicoat, a businesswoman in Korea, complained about a lingerie fashion show at the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Korea awards gala on Nov. 10.

Several women walked out of the second annual business awards gala at the Grand Hyatt hotel, according to witnesses.

She suggested that the lingerie show was being used as entertainment to attract attention and attendance.

Ergonomics consultant Diana Underwood, who attended the event, and Liddicoat, who did not, said they felt uncomfortable with the idea at an event that celebrates foreign and local companies’ relationship.

Liddicoat said that she would not attend a business networking event featuring a lingerie catwalk show.

“I know several other female business people in Korea who would also choose not to attend because we would not feel comfortable or entertained,” she said.

Liddicoat suggested that future similar events employ the services of comedians, magicians or theatrical troupes.

Park Eun-shil wrote on the community board that she “strongly recommended” not mixing lingerie with business talk.

“I don’t have anything against lingerie in general, (but) it’s still an unusual combination,” she added.

But medical research director Jean-luc Picker said on the board that the collection came from respected French and European brands.

“Many women from both communities have supported the establishment of this business as it is notoriously difficult to buy quality lingerie in Korea,” Picker said. “Does (Liddicoat, who initiated the post) forget the needs of Korean and foreign women, who are eager to continue the push for a more open society?”

Chamber chairman Jim Lim explained that his original intent was to showcase a fashion parade and that the Korean fashion designer educated in Australia known as Bora went “a bit extreme” on what was displayed on the catwalk.

“We were not prepared for what she planned,” he said.

Lim said that the chamber had no intent to offend anyone.

“It was regretful that the fashion parade had more lingerie that we liked, we will be wary in the future to run another fashion parade,” he said.

Lim added that he had not received any official complaint and did not see anyone leave the room during the show.

A lingerie show by a French importer was eventually pulled from the schedule at the Seoul Global Foreign Entrepreneurs’ night hosted by the Seoul Global Center on Dec. 6.

The global center sent program schedules including an Audace Lingerie presentation and catwalk show to guests, but dropped the show after allegedly receiving complaints.



By Yoav Cerralbo
(yoav@heraldcorp.com)