Yoon Mi-hyang 'Comfort Women Donation' Controversy... Civic Party "Fake News" vs. Korean Party "Victim Cosplay"

Grandmother Lee Yong-soo: "Where Was the Comfort Women Fund Spent... I Will Not Attend the Wednesday Demonstrations"

Yoon Mi-hyang, elected member of the Democratic Citizen Party, is speaking at the '1431st Regular Wednesday Demonstration for the Resolution of the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery Issue' held in front of the former Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul, last March.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] The ruling and opposition parties have shown conflicting positions regarding the claim that Yoon Mee-hyang, the elected member of the Democratic Party of Korea and former chairperson of the Justice and Memory Foundation, received prior explanations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs just before the Korea-Japan comfort women agreement. The Democratic Party of Korea has called it 'fake news,' while the Future Korea Party accused the Democratic Party of Korea of 'victim cosplay.'

Earlier, Lee Yong-soo, a female human rights activist and former comfort woman victim, raised suspicions about the unclear use of funds collected at the Wednesday Demonstrations hosted by the Justice and Memory Foundation.

Je Yoon-kyung, chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, stated in a commentary on the 10th, "Cho Tae-yong, the elected member of the Korea Party, claims that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave prior explanations to Representative Yoon during the 2015 Korea-Japan comfort women agreement, but this is not true," adding, "At that time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs distorted the facts by disguising the humiliating negotiation contents as a successful agreement."

She continued, "Without any prior consultation with related organizations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided all matters during the Korea-Japan director-general level talks on the afternoon of December 27, 2015, and unilaterally notified Yoon Mee-hyang, then the standing representative of the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery (the predecessor of the Justice and Memory Foundation), of part of the agreement under the condition of confidentiality that same night."

According to the chief spokesperson, the contents notified to Representative Yoon at the time included only some parts of the agreement such as 'acceptance of responsibility, apology and reflection, and Japanese government funding,' while sensitive matters like 'irreversible resolution, restraint from criticism in the international community, and removal of the statue of the girl' were excluded.

She also pointed out that "Representative Yoon has devoted over 30 years to restoring the human rights of comfort women victims," and that "undermining her life with unilateral claims that have not been verified is a serious insult to Representative Yoon."

Cho Tae-yong, spokesperson for the Future Korea Party, is presenting bills and policies next to the "Promise Tree to the People" at the inauguration ceremony of the 21st National Assembly election campaign committee held in March at the Future Korea Party headquarters in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

In response, Cho Tae-yong, spokesperson for the Korea Party, immediately rebutted with a statement on the same day. He claimed, "The Democratic Party of Korea is trying to defame Lee Yong-soo by 'victim cosplay.'"

Cho said, "Having served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and then as the first deputy director of the NSC (National Security Council) at the time, I clearly heard the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' position that 'prior explanations about the comfort women agreement were given to Representative Yoon,'" and raised his voice, saying, "The Democratic Party of Korea should not be so eager to cover for former Representative Yoon."

He added, "The Democratic Party of Korea and the ruling party, the Democratic Party of Korea, should pledge and urge a thorough investigation into the activities and fund execution details of former Representative Yoon and the Justice and Memory Foundation," emphasizing, "The truth cannot be hidden just because they try to mislead the public."

Former Future United Party candidate for Seoul Songpa District, Kim Geun-sik, also criticized Representative Yoon on his Facebook page.

Kim said to Representative Yoon, "In response to Lee Yong-soo's revelation that she was only used, you attacked by saying 'the grandmother's memory has changed,'" adding, "The shamelessness of ruling party figures seems to have become a daily routine and habit."

He further criticized, "The fundamental reason Lee Yong-soo could fight alongside the Justice and Memory Foundation at the forefront of condemning the comfort women atrocities was 'the grandmother's memory,' but now that she criticizes you, you are denying it by claiming her memory is wrong, which is nothing but self-contradiction and self-denial."

Earlier, on the 7th, Lee held a press conference claiming that the use of funds collected at the Wednesday Demonstrations hosted by the Justice and Memory Foundation was unclear. She raised suspicions of fund misuse, saying, "During the 2015 Korea-Japan agreement, 1 billion yen came from Japan, but only Representative Yoon Mee-hyang knew about it," and "the victims did not know about this."

Lee also said, "I will not attend the Wednesday Demonstrations starting next week," adding, "The demonstrations are not helping to resolve the comfort women issue at all, and I do not know where the donations from the students who participated in the demonstrations are being used."

Subsequently, on the 8th, Representative Yoon posted a statement on her Facebook page, asserting, "The activities and accounting of the Justice and Memory Foundation are thoroughly managed, audited, and reported," and "projects are being executed according to the fundraising purposes."

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