Military Under Fire for Banning Books to Soldiers

South Korea's Defense Ministry Thursday came under heavy fire for banning soldiers from reading 23 books, including several by world-renowned scholars, over what it called "disturbing" content that aimed to either praise North Korea or stir anti-American sentiment.

The 23 books have been put on a ban list for all armed service members, and troops are currently undergoing inspection to determine if they are in possession of any banned materials, Yonhap News reported quoting a ministry official.

The special inspection began Monday and will last until Aug. 8, according to the official, who asked not to be identified.

South Korea, which is technically at war with the communist North, had maintained a long list of banned books, mostly pro-communism or anti-government publications.

Publishing, or even carrying or reading, pro-communism publications is still prohibited under the National Security Law, but the government no longer enforces an "official" ban on any books, according to local publishers.

The military, however, continues to regularly produce and enforce its own list of banned books, ministry officials said.

"It is not a brand new measure. The ministry has regularly updated its book ban list and the ongoing inspection is only part of the latest measures," an official was quoted as saying.

The 23 books are divided into three categories _ pro-North Korea, anti-government and anti-U.S., and anti-capitalism.

Under the anti-government and anti-U.S. category is a recent publication by the winner of the 2003 Myrdal Award, professor Chang Ha-joon of Britain's Cambridge University, in which the author argues that developed countries are now denying the same measures they used to promote their economy in their early days of development to developing nations.