Ko Un, Whose Return to Literary Circles Failed, Publishes Seven Books Through Private Publisher

Ceased Public Activities After Sexual Harassment Allegations
Published Poetry and Essay Collections Through Independent Publisher

It has been confirmed that poet Ko Un, who halted public activities following allegations of sexual harassment, has published seven books through an independent publishing house over the past three years. While he has remained absent from public literary circles, he has continued to release new works, including poetry collections and essay books.

Poet Ko Un. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the publishing industry on May 4, Ko Un published the poetry collection "Cheong" in November 2023, followed by the essay collection "Records of the Wind" in November 2024. From May 2024 to October 2025, he sequentially released volumes 1 to 5 of the poetry series "Poems of the World."

These books were published by "Books Just Because," an independent publishing house reportedly established by Kim Hyungkyun, CEO of Dongjoknara, who has published several of Ko Un's works in the past. According to some reports, the deposit account listed on the publisher’s website is under the name of Lee Sanghwa, Ko Un’s wife and an honorary professor at Chung-Ang University.

The books are not available through major bookstores or standard online distribution channels. Orders are taken through the email address or mobile number provided on the publisher’s website, after which the books are produced and shipped. According to the publisher's introduction, "Cheong" is an epic poem about the Song of Simcheong, and "Records of the Wind" is an essay collection comprised of diaries Ko Un wrote from 1977 to 1980.

Poet Ko Eun's New Work. Silcheon Munhak Publishing House

Ko Un effectively ceased his public activities after being embroiled in allegations of sexual harassment following revelations by poet Choi Youngmi in 2018. He denied the accusations and filed a damages lawsuit against Choi and others, but lost in both the first and second trials and did not appeal. However, he has never admitted to the allegations nor offered a formal apology.

In 2023, Ko Un attempted a comeback by releasing the poetry collection "Moo’s Song" and the interview book "Dialogue with Ko Un" through Silcheon Munhak Publishing, but faced strong criticism both within and outside the literary community. At the time, Silcheon Munhak Publishing issued an apology and halted supply of the poetry collection. The quarterly magazine "Silcheon Munhak" also announced a suspension of publication as a gesture of self-reflection.

Since then, Ko Un’s new works have been released outside conventional bookstore distribution channels. After his attempt at a public return through Silcheon Munhak Publishing was abandoned, the channel for releasing his works shifted to independent publishers and a limited order-based sales model.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.