Poet Ko Un, an early casualty of the "Me Too" movement in Korea, is refusing to go down without a fight and is suing his accuser for defamation.
The Seoul Central District Court said Wednesday that Ko filed a lawsuit against poet Choi Young-mi, who has accused him of habitual sexual harassment, seeking W1.07 billion in damages (US$1=W1,126).
Choi published a poem titled "The Beast" at the end of last year that describes an unnamed famous poet's predatory habits. In February, she appeared on TV and said the poet was based on Ko.
She claimed he wielded considerable power in the country's publishing industry which made it difficult for women to refuse his advances.
Ko fought back, releasing a statement through his British publisher in March that read in part, "I must affirm that I have done nothing which might bring shame on my wife or myself."
