Is Han Kang's 'Vegetarian' Rated 19+? ... 10,000 Signatures Against Youth Harmful Content Designation

"Elementary, Middle, and High School Libraries Not Stocked," Claims Jeonhakyeon
National Audit Continues Over 'Vegetarian' Stocking Debate

The nationwide parents' organization, the National Parents' Association Federation (Jeonhakyeon), claimed that Han Kang's novel, which won the Nobel Prize in Literature, should not be stocked in elementary, middle, and high school libraries nationwide as it is a harmful medium for youth. On the 22nd, Jeonhakyeon stated in a press release, "Many people who have read Han Kang's book say they 'would not recommend it to adults either,'" expressing this view. They explained, "Most citizens who have not read Han Kang's works probably do not know the actual content of the work but were very pleased just by the news of the Nobel Prize award."

Citizens visiting Kyobo Bookstore in Jongno-gu, Seoul, are purchasing books by Han Kang, the author who won the Nobel Prize in Literature.

The book Jeonhakyeon singled out as a 'problematic book' is The Vegetarian. They mentioned that the book contains content about an inappropriate relationship between a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, saying, "Parents are appalled by the attempt to stock such an extreme and violent book in elementary, middle, and high school libraries nationwide just because it is a work by a Nobel laureate."

The youth protection law's criteria for harmful media for youth include "materials that stimulate sexual desire in youth through provocative or obscene content," and based on this, they argue that The Vegetarian qualifies as harmful media for youth. Jeonhakyeon questioned, "We want to ask whether it makes sense to recommend a book with content that anyone would see as harmful to youth to minors in elementary, middle, and high schools just because it is a work by a Nobel laureate." They also argued, "Just as a '19-rated (restricted to adults) movie' cannot become suitable for youth viewing simply because it won an Academy Award, books should also have age restrictions."

Meanwhile, Jeonhakyeon has started a petition campaign to prevent The Vegetarian from being stocked in elementary, middle, and high school libraries as well as in the children's and youth sections of public libraries. According to them, as of 7 p.m. on the day after the campaign started, 10,474 individuals and 195 organizations had joined the opposition petition. A Jeonhakyeon official said, "The petition is ongoing."

Han Kang's books, the Nobel Prize in Literature laureate, are being exhibited in the Central Hall of the National Assembly Library in Yeouido, Seoul.

Earlier, on the 17th, they publicly demanded that Jeong Geunsik, the newly inaugurated Superintendent of Education for Seoul, answer whether he has read The Vegetarian to the end and whether he would recommend it as required reading if he had minor grandchildren. They also urged the Ministry of Education and affiliated metropolitan and provincial education offices, as well as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, to take measures to prevent The Vegetarian from being stocked in elementary, middle, and high school libraries and in the children's and youth sections of public libraries.

The controversy over whether to stock The Vegetarian in school libraries continued at the National Assembly's audit on the same day. There were repeated criticisms regarding the case last year when The Vegetarian was discarded in a school library in Gyeonggi Province due to issues with sexual descriptions. Lim Taehee, Superintendent of Education for Gyeonggi Province, said at the Education Committee audit held at the National Assembly, "I have read The Vegetarian, and it is a work written with very deep thought," but added, "Regarding parts related to Mongolian spots in the book, I also felt somewhat embarrassed reading it as a student might." This prompted criticisms in the audit session such as "anachronistic book censorship."