South Korea lifts ban on Marquis de Sade book

A ban on the Marquis de Sade's novel 120 Days of Sodom has been lifted after complaints about censorship.

The book, which was written in Paris in 1785, hit South Korean bookshelves in August after a Korean translation was published.

It was banned after public protests against obscenity, with the authorities saying the book "triggered violent excitement".

But following complaints from the publisher over freedom of expression, the censors relented. In a meeting with academics and novelists, they accepted its literary value.

AP