Renowned play director resigns over #MeToo claim

By Lee Kyung-min

Renowned theatrical play director Lee Yoon-taek, 67, apologized Monday for alleged sexual misconduct over the past two decades, the latest in a series of the #MeToo cases spreading in the cultural scene in Korea. Lee is another of the high-profile figures in the art and literary circles here to have publicly admitted to such behavior, following Ko Un, 84 _ a perennial hopeful for the Nobel Prize for literature among Koreans _ who has been accused of similar misconduct over the last 30 years.

Lee said he deeply regrets what happened, adding he would take responsibility _ legally or otherwise. “I am ashamed and devastated,” he said during a press conference at an art studio in Seoul. “I offer my sincere apology to the victims. I admit that I failed to keep promises made to my coworkers and staff despite their protests following my indiscretions. I committed a great sin by repeatedly reneging on promises that I should never have broken under any circumstances.”

The “customary long-held practice” that continued for 18 years, Lee added, was extremely bad, adding that he would not want to see the theatrical circles reputation denigrated as a whole due to the “isolated” incident. “I sometimes might have unwittingly committed the act and I might have felt guilty but ended up letting the dirty desire get the better of me. I also apologize to my fellow members of the art circle. But I did not rape any one and not everything on social media is true,” he added.

The apology followed sexual harassment allegations raised by the leader of a Seoul-based theater group, Kim Soo-hee. She said that many women were called in and forced to give him “a massage” near his genitals for years. These claims were further compounded by a sexual assault allegation raised by a former staff member of Lee who claimed she was sexually assaulted in Busan in 2001 and Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, in 2002. “I decided to go public outraged by Lee’s criminal acts that have continued for over a decade even after what he did to me,” she wrote on a social media account.

The explosive allegations triggered an online petition at the Cheong Wa Dae website, where over 20,000 people signed on to demanding a thorough investigation and subsequent punishment. “The petition seeks to root out wrongful and unreasonable practices prevalent in the art community that have continued in the name of art perpetuated by a violent, command-oriented hierarchical structure. We hereby seek a chance for deep self-reflection,” the petition read. The Korean Playwrights Association said it had expelled Lee, and withdrawn a recommendation for him to become a member of a review board at the Arts Council Korea, supervised by the culture ministry.

Meanwhile, Ko Un said Sunday that he would leave his residence in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, provided by the city government along with a substantial state subsidy, virtually nullifying prospect of the city’s years-long plan to make the location a “literary” cultural heritage.

The sudden announcement came amid brewing public criticism over a sexual harassment allegation raised by poet Choi Young-mi that was confirmed by poet Ryu Keun. In a poem, Choi described how she was told not to sit next to a man identified as “En,” as she was warned by a fellow poet: “En always gropes when he sees a young woman.”

Amid mounting speculation that the alleged perpetrator was Ko, Ryu confirmed that it was indeed him, adding that he was more surprised at the belated media coverage and also belated revelation by the woman poet. Ryu also said some literary figures have tried to glorify such criminal offences; while those who did not speak up against Ko enabled him to continue his aberrant behavior.

In response, Ko said it happened 30 years ago at a year-end get-together organized by a publisher, and admitted to “grabbing many by the wrists and so on.” He added that he did not intend to harass the victims at the time but if his behavior was defined as sexual harassment by current standards, he would apologize, drawing criticism that in his half-hearted, outdated mindset he failed to show any remorse.