A professor has been stirred controversy once again for her comments on pedophilic sexual complexes.

Professor Lee Hyun-jae of the University of Seoul’s Institute for Urban Humanities was criticized for comments in September when she appeared on a TV talk show and shared her thoughts on sexual complexes.

The professor argued at the time that the Shotaro complex -- sexual attraction for young boys by adults -- is not of the same characteristic as the Lolita complex for young girls, adding a predilection for young boys could be considered a “preference” rather than irregular practice. 

Her remarks have come under scrutiny again after a Korean national authored a written account of sexual abuse of an underage Australian boy on an online misandrists community on Sunday.

Lee took to social media Tuesday to clarify her position. She said she thinks of “acts motivated by the Shotaro complex” as serious crimes that should be punished.

“Shotaro complex motivated concepts, however, are something new in the history of male hegemony,” she wrote. “The concepts are questionable, but the appearance of ‘beautiful boys’ is a new preference of the era.”

She added that “the media outlets that report stories (about me), unrelated to the facts will take responsibility.”

Her attempt at clarification, however, was largely received as unsatisfactory, lending itself to further criticism. Some refuted, saying obsessional preference for little boys should never be accepted as part of culture.

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)