Pyeongtaek, South Korea - Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has taken his war on facial hair to the next level by refusing to meet with any unshaven troops while touring overseas military bases.

Military members who have been granted a shaving waiver will not be allowed to meet with Hegseth when he visits the Camp Humphreys base in South Korea this week, according to an email obtained by Task and Purpose.

The email was sent from the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base and posted on an unofficial Air Force Facebook page. It stated that "members with shaving waivers are NOT authorized to attend."

Hegseth has severely limited shaving waivers in the Army since he became Defense Secretary, and has said that people who don't go clean-shaven will be booted from their positions for not adhering to grooming standards.

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The move is considered highly problematic and discriminatory towards Black service members in particular.

A September 30 memo said the US military would only give temporary waivers for medical conditions such as pseudofolliculitis barbae, a skin condition which is common among Black men that is exacerbated by shaving.

In an address to military leaders in September, Hegseth launched a war against facial hair, saying, "No more beardos! The era of rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles is done!"

"No more beards, long hair, superficial individual expression. We're going to cut our hair, shave our beards, and adhere to standards," the defense secretary declared.

Hegseth is currently on a major tour of Asia alongside President Donald Trump, first visiting Malaysia. On Wednesday, he is set to meet with Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.

The tour will culminate in South Korea, where Trump is due to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, while Hegseth will continue his tour of some of the US' many overseas military bases.