The offices of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea / Korea Times file

School regulations banning students from dying or perming their hair infringe upon their basic human rights, the state rights watchdog said Monday.

A high school girl, whose name was withheld, from an undisclosed school in North Gyeongsang Province filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, claiming that the school's hair dress code violates her freedom.

Many middle and high schools in Korea ban colored or permed hairstyles for their students and sometimes take away their school credits for violating hair dress codes.

The commission said that excessively limiting students' hairstyles infringes upon their freedom to self-determination and rights to reveal personality as guaranteed by the Constitution.

The commission also said the school's claim that such a ban is aimed at preventing students from going astray has not been proven.

The commission made the recommendation that the school revise its hair dress code policies. (Yonhap)