84-year-old South Korean poet, writer and critic Ko Un (Hangeul: 고은), has strongly denied allegations about his sexual misconduct in a statement sent to the Guardian.
In the article “Poet Ko Un erased from Korean textbooks after sexual harassment claims,” published by the Guardian, Ko expressed his regrets that his name has been brought up in the recent allegations.
In the statement sent to the British media outlet by Ko Un’s UK publisher Bloodaxe Books, Ko says:
“I regret that my name has been brought up in the recent allegations. I have already expressed regret for any unintended pain that my behaviour may have caused. However, I flatly deny charges of habitual misconduct that some individuals have brought up against me. In Korea I would simply wait for the passage of time to bring the truth to light and settle the controversy. However, to my foreign friends, to whom facts and contexts are not readily available, I must affirm that I have done nothing which might bring shame on my wife or myself. All I can say at the moment is that I believe that my writing will continue, with my honour as a person and a poet maintained.”
Before becoming a writer, Ko Un used to be a Buddhist monk. The 84-year-old poet is well known both inside and outside Korea, and currently he is at the centre of sexual harassment accusations.
According to reports, the controversy led to 11 of his poems being removed from school textbooks, and shutting down of the Maninbang Library featuring his literary works, just months after it was set up in Seoul Metropolitan Library.
