A new law has come into force in South Korea that effectively bans the wearing of miniskirts. The controversial piece of legislation is called the "overexposure law" and is an attempt by the government to curb what it views as public indecency. Anyone caught wearing a miniskirt could be fined around $45. It is one of the first laws to be passed by new president Park Geun-hye and has come under considerable criticism. Her father, Park Chung-hee, who led the country between 1963 and 1979, introduced a similar decree on the appropriateness of what Korean women could and couldn't wear. A spokesperson from South Korea's police said the law is more concerned with public nudity than provocative clothing.

Celebrities and politicians are up in arms over the new law. Democratic United Party member Ki Sik Kim wrote on Twitter: "Why does the state interfere with how citizens dress? Park Geun-hye's government gives cause for concern that we are returning to the era when hair length and skirt length were regulated." Many female celebrities have posted photos of themselves in skimpy clothing online to make their feelings against the law known. Short skirts and shorts are extremely popular in South Korea. They are the fashion items of choice for the majority of the country's pop stars. Singer and fashion icon Lee Hyori tweeted: "Is the overexposure fine for real? I'm so dead."