In Korea there are two kinds of haircuts, sukoshi and takusan. Sukoshi means small or very ...

Accession Number MELJ0334
Collection type Photograph
Object type Black & white - Film original negative 120 safety base
Maker Meldrum, Donald Albert (Tim)
Place made Korea
Date made c 9 August 1954
Conflict Korea, 1950-1953
Copyright

Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain

Public Domain Mark This item is in the Public Domain

Description

In Korea there are two kinds of haircuts, sukoshi and takusan. Sukoshi means small or very little, and takusan means plenty. The only trouble is that Korean barbers vary widely in their interpretation of the terms, and once in the chair, a soldier who orders a sukoshi haircut is never certain whether he will finish up with sukoshi taken off or sukoshi left on. Hence, those whose tonsorial tastes run to a more ample thatching amplify their instructions with, ' you cut just sukoshi same-same a film star'. If they are lucky they get a somewhat ragged Cornel Wilde job, and if their luck holds it may escape their RSM's notice. The more spartan tastes who favour a comfortable crew cut, just sit tight in the chair and let the barber clip on till a brush-like feel on top indicates that a 'number one GI job' has been achieved. Her 12892 Private (Pte) Leslie Norman 'Blue' Moore of Mt Gravatt, Qld, was not so worried about the fate of his crowning glory as about his moustache, which waxes up to an impressive six inches from tip to tip. Pte Moore joined the Australian Army three years ago and has been eleven months in Korea. He was a Second World War soldier, joining in 1939 and soldiering through till 1945. He fought at Milne Bay, Madang, New Britain and Singapore. Pte Moore's hobby is gardening, and he boasts that his garden at Headquarters, 28 British Commonwealth Infantry Brigade, has produced some of the best vegetables in Korea. His fears for his mo were groundless. The barber, An Yung Hwan from Seoul, could not have been more careful of it if it had been his own. (Original British Commonwealth Forces (BCFK) caption).

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