Gwak Sang-do "At least 8.2 billion KRW in donations to Jeong Dae-hyeop and Jeong Ui-yeon... Urges prosecution investigation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Gwak Sang-do, a member of the Future United Party, has called for a prosecution investigation, stating that the donations collected by the Justice and Memory Foundation (Jeong-ui-yeon) and its predecessor, the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan (Jeongdae-hyeop), amount to at least 8.2 billion KRW.

Gwak, who serves as the chairman of the Future United Party's "Task Force (TF) for the Truth Investigation of Comfort Women Victims," stated at the TF meeting held at the National Assembly on the 9th, "Based on some Jeongdae-hyeop newsletters, media reports, and government department data, the donations to Jeongdae-hyeop and Jeong-ui-yeon total at least 8.2 billion KRW."

He pointed out, "Jeongdae-hyeop and Jeong-ui-yeon received donations from individuals and organizations under the names of museum construction funds, survivor welfare, butterfly funds, and other sponsorships, totaling at least 8.2 billion KRW, including 1.343 billion KRW in government subsidies," and added, "especially, the fundraising amount for the War and Women's Human Rights Museum, which Jeongdae-hyeop has been promoting since 2003, is at least 2.5 billion KRW."

He also highlighted the irregular fluctuations in the fundraising amount for the War and Women's Human Rights Museum, which reaches 2.5 billion KRW, and raised suspicions about the government subsidy application process. Gwak said, "According to past Jeongdae-hyeop press releases and interviews with former representative Yoon Mi-hyang, the War and Women's Human Rights Museum donations have repeatedly fluctuated between 1.7 billion KRW → 1.5 billion KRW → 1.6 billion KRW → 1.7 billion KRW," and added, "there are suspicions that the government subsidy project plan for the War and Women's Human Rights Museum was falsely prepared."

He stated, "According to the construction project plan submitted by Jeongdae-hyeop to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on March 12, 2012, the total fundraising amount for the museum construction as of the end of December 2011 was reported as 1.8 billion KRW, and a request for 500 million KRW in government subsidies was made to the ministry. However, combining media articles and Jeongdae-hyeop newsletters, the total fundraising amount for the museum construction could exceed 2.5 billion KRW," and pointed out, "the remodeling cost of 609.98 million KRW for the building, which was disclosed when applying for government subsidies to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, was confirmed to be about 220 million KRW more than the previously announced amount of 390 million KRW before the public notice."

Gwak said, "I plan to submit the collected and analyzed materials regarding various suspicions to the prosecution to urge a faster and more prompt investigation, which is currently at a standstill," and added, "I will also provide the prosecution with materials summarizing the investigation requests into the sources of funds for Yoon's apartment purchase in Suwon, the purchase of a detached house in Hamyang, Gyeongnam, the 320 million KRW deposit listed in his daughter's U.S. study and asset declaration, as well as cases where Yoon and his family and associates held money and moving parties using comfort women victims."

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