"Promotion of Homosexuality"... Objections Raised by Some Civic Groups
Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education Issues "Discard" Notice to Schools
Cultural Solidarity Expresses Concern Over 'Book Censorship'
Novelist Han Kang has been selected as the Nobel Prize in Literature laureate, while his work The Vegetarian was designated as a harmful book by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, sparking controversy. [Source=Yonhap News]
Novelist Han Kang has been selected as the Nobel Prize in Literature laureate, but controversy has erupted as the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education designated his novel as a 'harmful sex education book for youth' and recommended its disposal.
According to the 'Sex Education Book Disposal Status' received by former Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Min-jung from the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education last May, Han Kang's The Vegetarian, as well as Nobel Prize-winning works such as Jos? Saramago's Blindness, Lee Chang-rae's Family, Jung Jae-seung's Humans Are Obsessed with Appearance, Asahi Shimbun Publishing's Why+ The Human Body, and Sakai Tatsuo's The Hidden Secrets Inside My Body, Anatomy were included. Accordingly, 2,528 books related to gender equality, sex education, and feminism were disposed of in school libraries across Gyeonggi Province. Most of the disposed books were among the 141 titles designated as harmful books last year by some civic groups who claimed they "induce homosexuality."
In November last year, the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education sent an official letter to elementary schools in the area recommending the disposal of sex-related books, and in February this year, it ordered the submission of the "sex education book handling status." However, in April, the Publication Ethics Committee under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism resolved that 67 out of 68 books requested for harmful book review by civic groups were "not harmful books." Nevertheless, the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education reportedly stated, "Although we think negatively about the large volume of disposed books, schools make their own judgments based on the content," and added, "Since civic groups continue to raise objections, there are no additional plans."
In response, Jung Won-ok, an executive committee member of the Cultural Solidarity, stated at the discussion forum titled "Response to the Restriction and Disposal of Gender Equality and Sex Education Books - The Right to Learn Gender Equality, Equally and Freely," held on August 28 at the Francisco Education Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, that "It is important to note that attempts to censor and ban books in the U.S. are occurring alongside legislative efforts to prohibit education or mention of certain content related to minorities and sexual minorities in schools and classrooms." He expressed concern, saying, "It is no coincidence that those who have actively opposed laws and systems guaranteeing the rights of women and sexual minorities are leading the censorship of gender equality and sex education books," and added, "Institutionalizing censorship of gender equality and sex education books is tantamount to institutionalizing hatred and discrimination against women and sexual minorities."
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