Restricting Access to Sex Education and Gender Equality Books in Public Libraries Constitutes a Violation of Children’s Right to Know
- NHRCK recommends public libraries to refrain from restricting access to certain publication out of public complaints -
□ The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho, hereinafter “NHRCK”) on August 18, 2025, issued recommendations and opinions to relevant authorities as follows:
○ To the Governor of ○○○ Province and the Superintendent of ○○○○ Office of Education: strengthen oversight to ensure that public libraries do not separately shelve or restrict access to sex education and gender equality books unless such materials have been formally designated as “harmful to youth publications” under the Youth Protection Act or the Publishing Industry Promotion Act.
○ To the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism: revise the Manual on Public Library User Service and Collection Management so that restrictions on library collections are guided by the review and decisions of the Publication Ethics Committee.
○ To mayors and county governors of ○○○ Province: clarify that restricting access to certain books without legal basis constitutes a violation of the public’s right to know.
□ The complainants, over 300 residents of ○○○ Province and the author of the youth essay collection “○○○○”, alleged that local public libraries, citing public complaints, had segregated sex education and gender equality books, restricted minors from accessing them without parental consent, or delayed their purchase as requested titles.
□ The NHRCK’s investigation confirmed that some religious and parent groups had repeatedly demanded the withdrawal of such books, claiming they promoted “premature sexualization” or “advocacy for sexual minorities.” Certain public libraries responded by removing the books from open shelves and placing them in restricted sections, accessible to minors only with parental approval. However, the Publication Ethics Committee reviewed 148 such titles between November 2023 and July 2024 and determined that none constituted harmful publications under applicable law.
□ The NHRCK’s Committee on the Rights of the Child (chaired by Standing Commissioner Lee Sook-jin) concluded that the Library Act obligates the State and local governments to guarantee citizens’ access to knowledge and information, and the Youth Protection Act and the Publishing Industry Promotion Act vest the authority to designate harmful publications exclusively in the Publication Ethics Committee. Accordingly, public libraries's decision to restrict access to books not so designated lacks legal basis and constitutes a violation of children’s right to know.
□ The NHRCK therefore issued recommendations for corrective action to the Governor of ○○○ Province and expressed its opinion to the other relevant authorities.
