There has long been a clash between arguments that sex education books for students should be barred from library access and borrowing because of “explicit content,” and counterarguments that such restrictions amount to prior censorship and a violation of children’s right to know.
SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s human rights watchdog has ruled that public libraries violated children’s right to information by restricting access to sex education and gender equality books that were not legally classified as harmful publications.
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea said Monday that several libraries had either removed such titles from their shelves or allowed minors to borrow them only with parental consent, following repeated demands from religious and parent groups.
Those groups argued the books encouraged “early sexualization” or promoted sexual minorities, and pressed libraries nine times to discard or recall them.
In one case, more than 300 citizens reported that books with titles such as Do Not Force Masculinity were unavailable in local libraries, while others said their requests for sex education titles were indefinitely postponed. Authors also filed complaints after discovering their works were segregated and restricted.
The Korea Publication Ethics Commission had already determined that none of the 148 disputed books qualified as harmful to youth. By disregarding that ruling, the rights commission said, libraries infringed on minors’ legal access to information.
The commission recommended that the provincial governor and education superintendent strengthen oversight to prevent libraries from independently restricting access to lawful books. It also urged the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to ensure that library policies conform to official determinations by the ethics commission.
The decision comes amid growing debate in South Korea over freedom of access to educational materials, pitting parental concerns against children’s rights and library autonomy.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
