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Public libraries harassed for 'rejecting' right-wing 'Stop the Steal' conspiracy book

Published: 17 Feb. 2025, 15:13

The book ″Stop The Steal: The Supreme Court's History of Election Fraud Cover-Ups,″ published last month, claims election fraud in the 2020 general election and denies Supreme Court decisions related to the case. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Public libraries in Korea are struggling with a flood of complaints because they are not stocking books related to election fraud conspiracy theories.

A widely shared social media post claimed that a particular library had rejected a request to stock the book “Stop The Steal: The Supreme Court's History of Election Fraud Cover-Ups,” calling the alleged rejection “politically motivated.” The post has sparked a wave of protests.

Published last month, “Stop The Steal” is authored by four lawyers — Do Tae-woo, Park Ju-hyun, Yoon Yong-jin and Hyun Seong-sam — who represented former conservative People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker Min Kyung-wook in a civil case alleging election fraud in the April 15, 2020 general election. Min had run to represent a district in Incheon.

The book claims that over 120 lawsuits arose from that election, with Min's case being the first filed and most extensively argued. The Supreme Court ruled against Min, and the authors criticized the decision.

A screen capture of a text message allegedly sent by the library was also shared online. Complaints flooded the library’s website with messages such as “I will report you to the CIA if you do not stock the book” and “Fire the library director.”

“We were not accepting book requests at the time,” said a spokesperson from the library. “But we were still singled out for rejecting it, which put us in a tough spot.”

An official from the district office overseeing the library said, “More than 100 complaints were filed, which nearly paralyzed our work.”

Protesters of Christian organization ″Save Korea″ rally against Yoon's impeachment in Gwangju on Feb. 15. [NEWS1]

The library eventually posted a notice on its website that read, “We have not refused to stock the book ‘Stop the Steal.’” Another library in the same district had received a request for the book, but it had not yet decided whether to accept or reject it.

One of the authors, lawyer Do, also served as a lawyer for President Yoon Suk Yeol during his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court.

On Friday, the book topped the best-seller list at local bookstore chain Kyobo, surpassing Nobel laureate writer Han Kang’s novel “Human Acts” (2014), which had held the No. 1 spot for the previous 14 weeks.

“Users requested and inquired about ‘Stop the Steal’ even before its release,” said a librarian in the district.

According to a survey conducted by the JoongAng Ilbo, a total of 64 requests to stock “Stop the Steal” had been submitted across public libraries in 25 districts of Seoul as of Friday. In one district, there were as many as nine requests.

On the "U.S. politics" gallery of the online community DC Inside, users uploaded posts encouraging members to request the book at their local libraries and file complaints if the requests were denied.

Pro-Yoon Suk Yeol protesters rally in front of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi on Jan. 15. [NEWS1]

Because the book deals with a sensitive political issue, public libraries grapple with how to handle the situation. While policies vary by library, books deemed contrary to public morals or created for religious, political or commercial purposes may be restricted from purchase.

Some libraries make purchase decisions through a selection committee consisting of internal and external members. Following the Dec. 3 martial law declaration, not only “Stop the Steal” but also other politically charged books such as “The Cry of Our Nation," “K-Democracy: The End of Rebellion" and “Generals of Yongsan” have made the best-seller lists at major bookstores.

“We strive to remain neutral, but it is difficult to stock books that satisfy everyone,” said the head of a library in one district. “In the case of ‘Stop the Steal,’ we plan to purchase it first and let users read it and form their own opinions.”

The library head added, “We based our decision on the first law of Ranganathan’s Five Laws of Library Science, which states that ‘Books are for use.’”

“Since budgets and space are limited, we inevitably have to select books according to library policy,” said an official from the library community. “When we reject a request, we often receive complaints, which has made book selection an undesirable task.”

Supporters of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol rally near the Constitutional Court in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Jan. 23. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Concerns over book selection and stocking criteria within the library community are not new. Complaints are particularly common regarding books dealing with issues such as gender equality, historical events and certain politicians.

In 2021, a library in Seoul decided not to stock the book “NK’s 5·18 Arirang: The 475 Azaleas in Mt. Mudeung,” which had been banned from publication and distribution by a court order for “defaming and promoting prejudice against all participants in the May 18 Democratization Movement.”

This decision led to a complaint being filed with the National Human Rights Commission.

“After facing malicious complaints multiple times, librarians start to develop a sense of self-censorship even before selecting books,” said a district library team leader.

The library community is also taking action. In August last year, the Korean Library Association published the guidelines for intellectual freedom in libraries. On Friday, the National Library Committee held a special meeting to discuss related issues.

“A librarian’s personal values and subjective judgments shouldn’t interfere with material selection and services,” said Kim Shin-young, a professor in the Department of Library and Information Science at Daegu University. “Libraries must maintain neutrality.”

“Librarians must uphold the values of diversity, inclusion and equity while maintaining ideological, religious and political neutrality,” said Kim. “They must also firmly resist any groups that restrict intellectual freedom or exert extralegal pressure.”

BY LEE YOUNG-KEUN, JUN-YUL, KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]