South Korean writers, artists accused of abuse to be erased from textbooks as country gets behind #MeToo
Seoul’s education ministry describing the trio – a poet, a stage director and playwright – as ‘figures who created social controversy’
Three prominent South Korean writers and artists who have been accused of sex abuse will have their works and almost all mentions of their names removed from school textbooks, the government said Thursday, as the country’s nascent #MeToo campaign spreads.
A growing number of women have spoken out about abuses they suffered at the hands of powerful figures in multiple fields, making headlines in a country that remains socially patriarchal despite economic and technological advances.
Those accused of sexual misconduct include Ko Un, a top poet regularly tipped for the Nobel Prize for literature, prominent stage director Lee Yoon-taek and playwright Oh Tae-seok.
Seoul poet Choi Young-mi accused Ko of sexually abusing many women in literary circles, after publishing a thinly veiled poem Monster, in which she detailed her experiences at his hands.
Lee is under investigation for raping or sexually harassing more than 10 actresses at his theatre group, and Oh is also accused of harassing actresses and students.
