{"id":2205192,"date":"2024-05-22T18:22:17","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T09:22:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2205192"},"modified":"2024-06-06T17:48:28","modified_gmt":"2024-06-06T08:48:28","slug":"gyeonggi-provinces-book-removals-from-school-libraries-spark-fierce-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/05\/gyeonggi-provinces-book-removals-from-school-libraries-spark-fierce-debate\/","title":{"rendered":"Gyeonggi Province\u2019s book removals from school libraries spark fierce debate"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education\u2019s decision to remove more than 2,500 books on sex education, gender equality and feminism from school libraries between March 2023 and Feb. 2024 has sparked a contentious debate in South Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n

The move aimed to protect students from potential exploitation. However, critics argue that it infringes upon students\u2019 right to education and constitutes de facto censorship, undermining the autonomy of educational institutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Provincial Office of Education prompted the action by issuing directives that urged local elementary schools to report on the status of their library operation committees and provide lists of sexual education books for disposal. This unprecedented request drew criticism from school communities, who viewed it as an overreach of authority.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to a comprehensive <\/span>catalog<\/span><\/a> obtained by <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> from Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Min-jeong\u2019s office, the removed books covered topics such as sex education, gender equality and feminism.<\/span><\/p>\n

The decision to withdraw these materials from school libraries across the province has raised concerns about the potential risks associated with limiting access to accurate and appropriate information on these subjects.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A page from the book \u201cThe True Story of How Babies Are Made\u201d by Per Holm Knudsen | Image: Korea Pro<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

REMOVING \u201cINAPPROPRIATE\u201d BOOKS<\/b><\/p>\n

The removal of such books from school libraries in Gyeonggi Province has sparked a heated debate between conservative groups and educators. Kim Moon-hee of the Health Studies & Human Light Lab led the charge, filing complaints last year that advocated for the removal of \u201cinappropriate\u201d books.<\/span><\/p>\n

She argued that certain materials promoted the \u201cearly sexualization\u201d of children through \u201csexual explicitness\u201d and the \u201cpromotion of homosexuality\u201d while emphasizing the importance of age-appropriate education.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to teach children content that is suitable for their age,\u201d Kim told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>, warning that exposure to explicit material can lead to \u201charmful behaviors,\u201d such as mimicking what they read.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a need for proper, biologically-focused education rather than explicit sexual content,\u201d Kim emphasized. She questioned the necessity of graphic descriptions in youth education and stressed that explicit content, even if part of educational materials, should be scrutinized for its suitability for minors.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education denied allegations of censorship, stating that the official directive advised schools \u201cto assess the appropriateness of sex education books from an educational standpoint and manage them accordingly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The office further explained that the designation of sexual education books as \u201charmful media\u201d was not based on separate review criteria but rather on complaints about certain books advocating homosexuality and early sexual education being provided in school public libraries.<\/span><\/p>\n

The office also told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> that the Korea Publication Industry Promotion Agency (KPIPA), responsible for overseeing the ethical standards and guidelines related to publications, developed criteria for determining the suitability of such books for libraries.<\/span><\/p>\n

In April 2023, the KPIPA <\/span>reviewed<\/span><\/a> 68 sex education books at the request of civic groups and determined that 67 of them were not harmful to South Korea\u2019s youth population, based on the criteria set out in the country\u2019s <\/span>Youth Protection Act<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Article 9<\/span><\/a> of the Act defines six categories for reviewing publications and requires classifying material as \u201charmful to youth\u201d if it includes content that is \u201csexually provocative or obscene.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the Act also mandates that reviewers adhere to general societal norms and consider the media\u2019s literary, artistic, educational, medical and scientific value when applying such criteria.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the KPIPA\u2019s findings, conservative groups remain steadfast in their belief that the removed books pose a threat to children\u2019s well-being. They insist that the explicit nature of the content, regardless of its educational intent, is inappropriate for young minds and call for stricter measures to protect minors from potential harm.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A page from Mary Hoffman\u2019s \u201cThe Great Big Book of Families\u201d (2010) | Image: The Great Big Book of Families<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

DE FACTO CENSORSHIP<\/b><\/p>\n

The removal of books from school libraries within Gyeonggi Province has faced significant backlash from South Korea’s educators, librarians and publishers, who argue that the move constitutes de facto censorship and undermines the educational system\u2019s autonomy.<\/span><\/p>\n

A report from the Gyeonggi Province Office of Education, obtained from Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Min-jeong\u2019s office, revealed that 2,528 books were unshelved by school libraries across the region.<\/span><\/p>\n

A <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> analysis found that many of the removed books were not pertinent to sex education and included award-winning works by globally acclaimed writers such as Jose Saramago\u2019s \u201cBlindness\u201d and Han Kang\u2019s \u201cThe Vegetarian.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kwon Hae-jin, the secretary-general of the Korean School Librarian Association, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> that public and school librarians received complaints from conservative parent groups regarding sex education books even before the Gyeonggi education office issued its directive.<\/span><\/p>\n

She recalled an incident in which a parent group sent a list of \u201cinappropriate\u201d book titles to the elementary school where she works, including \u201cFlower Granny,\u201d a South Korean picture book based on the testimony of a former comfort woman during the Japanese Occupation of the Korean Peninsula.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMany other books included in the list didn\u2019t align with their arguments, which was concerning,\u201d Kwon said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Korean Publishers Association <\/span>stated<\/span><\/a> that the flagged books had been meticulously reviewed by professional sex education instructors and adhered to the standards of UNESCO\u2019s <\/span>International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite those arguments, the Gyeonggi education office sent an official letter in Nov. 2023, accompanied by a list of news articles featuring concerns from conservative and parent groups, requesting school libraries to review their materials.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the office told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> that the letter was only sent for \u201cadvisory measures,\u201d Kwon from the Korean School Librarian Association emphasized that its nature and official status caused considerable confusion within school libraries.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe office\u2019s inclusion of media articles relating to concerns raised by parents inevitably led to misunderstanding,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The controversy extended beyond South Korea when Mary Hoffman, a best-selling British author, discovered that Gyeonggi Province school libraries also pulled her book, \u201cThe Great Big Book of Families,\u201d from their shelves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoffman\u2019s book contains a line stating, \u201cSome children have two mommies or two daddies.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was my intention to show every child a family that looked like theirs. And there are children who live with two mommies or two daddies,\u201d Hoffman told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t