South Korean parents say Nobel winner Han Kang’s The Vegetarian ‘harmful’ to children

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Confederation of National Parents’ Associations said, “A book with extreme and violent content should not be placed in elementary, middle or high school libraries simply because it was written by a Nobel laureate.”

They claimed that the novel should be classified as “harmful” media for the youth. As of Tuesday night, more than 10,000 people had signed the petition supporting this demand.

The group also called out Jung Keun-sik, the newly elected superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, asking, “Has the superintendent himself read The Vegetarian entirely? Would he recommend it as required reading for his underage grandchildren?”

The federation has a history of aligning with conservative values in terms of education. The group has also actively protested against various social issues, including same-sex relationships.

Controversy over The Vegetarian also surfaced during a National Assembly audit on Tuesday. It was revealed that last year, the Gyeonggi Office of Education received press releases from conservative groups, which led to several schools in the region discarding over 2,500 books, including The Vegetarian, citing concerns over sexual content.