The covers of the Korean and English translations of Inti Chavez Perez's "Respect: Everything a Guy Needs to Know About Sex, Love, and Consent," respectively / Courtesy of Moonye Publishing and Piatkus

It is undeniably "backwards to think that you are protecting anyone by banning knowledge," said Inti Chavez Perez, a Swedish writer and certified sex educator, whose book on sexual health and relationships built around consent was labeled "harmful to youth" in Korea this April and remained banned for sale to anyone under 19.

The ban, enforced by the Publication Ethics Commission under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was only lifted this week, two months after it took effect, following concerns from literary circles and sex education experts in Korea and Sweden over ungrounded censorship.

"Sexuality can be something young people approach with respect for themselves and others. A key to this is sex education," the author, who is a member of the advisory council for the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society, told The Korea Times in an email. "With this ban, the adult world sends signals that these topics are forbidden to talk about."

Since its release in 2010, Chavez Perez's "Respect: Everything a Guy Needs to Know About Sex, Love, and Consent" has been printed in 18 languages, including English, Japanese and German.

Its Korean translation, published by Moonye Publishing, hit the shelves in 2020.

The book has garnered acclaim around the world for its comprehensive and accessible approach to guiding young men — and women — through puberty, sex, body image, relationships, gender identity and consent in the post-#MeToo era.

Swedish writer and certified sex educator Inti Chavez Perez / Courtesy of Tess Wallenberg / Nature & Culture

Last year, however, the First Korea Citizens' Alliance, a civic group, flagged it among 68 sex-ed publications as "obscene and harmful" to minors.

The group, along with other conservative organizations, said that such titles "excessively stimulate sexual curiosity and impulses" with their realistic portrayal of genitalia and intercourse. They also criticized the books for "bringing about confusion in one's gender identity and undermining family values under the pretext of human rights," pointing to sections devoted to LGBTQ+ relationships.

Its complaint, accompanied by the list of 68 publications, was then submitted to the Publication Ethics Commission for review.

After deliberation, the commission decided in April to single out Chavez Perez's "Respect" as a "media product harmful to youth." It cited over 70 phrases and illustrations within the pages — such as the candid description of male erection and discussions on different gender identities and sexual orientations — as violations of Korea's Youth Protection Act.

This labeling meant that the book — which was written based on the very questions posed by young audiences during the author's time as a sex educator — had to be pulled from school shelves and restricted in public libraries.

"With [effective] sex education aimed at young people, we can reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, sexual violence and unequal relationships," the author remarked. "It is absurd that young readers in South Korea would not have access to the same knowledge that other young readers around the world have."

In response, on May 16, Moonye Publishing filed an appeal for the reevaluation of the commission's ruling.

"We believe that the specific nature of sex-ed books was not taken into consideration in this case. 'Respect' is not sensationalizing or provoking sexual fantasies through exaggerated and distorted descriptions," a representative of the publishing house told The Korea Times. "Rather, it serves as a realistic and inclusive guide that complies with UNESCO's international technical guidance on sexuality education."

Comprehensive sexuality education, according to UNESCO, promotes learning about reproductive health and relationships while emphasizing values such as respect, inclusion, equality, responsibility and reciprocity.

Echoing these sentiments, the Swedish Writers' Union released a statement on June 20, calling for the reversal of the book's ban.

"We note that comprehensive sexuality education is not harmful for young people; on the contrary, the World Health Organization states that [it] delivers a wide range of positive health outcomes. Young people are more likely to delay the onset of sexual activity, and when they do have sex, they practice safer and more respectful sex when they are better informed about their sexuality, sexual health and their rights," it read.

"The right of young people to independently read and inform themselves is crucial for their ability to become strong democratic citizens, something which should be of interest to all countries in times of disinformation and psychological warfare."

It was a day after the release of the union's statement that the ethics commission launched a reevaluation of "Respect." After a lengthy discussion, it eventually overturned its previous decision, concluding that the book's educational value as a whole "outweighs potential concerns about its explicit expressions."

Members of the Gyeonggi branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, along with other civic groups, hold a press conference in front of the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, June 12, to protest against the removal of over 2,500 sex-ed books from school libraries across the province over the past year. Courtesy of South Korean Coalition for Anti-discrimination Legislation

Although the fate of Chavez Perez's book in Korea was ultimately altered after two tumultuous months, it highlights a broader trend of rising book ban efforts by conservative groups in recent years.

According to data from the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, a total of 2,528 sex-ed books were removed from school libraries across Gyeonggi Province in the past year alone, following pressure from civic groups that deemed these publications detrimental to students' learning.

Critics point out that such a movement promotes censorship that stifles any opportunity for open conversation on delicate subjects.

"There will always be a new book they want to ban, so there is no end for their struggle," Chavez Perez noted.

"This ban also contributes to self-censorship. No publisher wants to take the risk of having their book banned, therefore, in the back of their minds, they will weigh the risks [when choosing] which topics to cover. We risk getting books that do not dare to speak plainly about sensitive topics that concern readers."