Key Issue in Donation Misuse... Yoon Mi-hyang Refutes, "All Funds Used Publicly"

Prosecution Indicts Without Detention After 4 Months of Investigation
7 Charges Including Violation of Donation Act
Loss of National Assembly Seat If Sentenced to Imprisonment or Higher
Approximately 100 Million Won Spent Arbitrarily Identified

Justice Network Statement "Regrets 'Forced Indictment'"
Regular National Assembly Session for 100 Days Starting This Month
Trial May Be Delayed Due to Schedule Reasons

Yoon Mi-hyang, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the Environment and Labor Committee plenary meeting held at the National Assembly on the 15th, talking with Assemblywoman Yang Yi-won-young. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jung] A trial that will determine the fate of the comfort women movement centered around the Justice Memory Solidarity as well as Yoon Mee-hyang personally is about to begin soon. If Representative Yoon is sentenced to imprisonment or higher for even one charge in this trial, she will lose her seat in the National Assembly.

According to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office and legal circles on the 15th, Representative Yoon, who was indicted the day before, faces seven charges including violation of the Act on the Regulation of Solicitation and Receipt of Donations, violation of the Act on the Management of Subsidies, embezzlement in the course of duty, and breach of trust, making it highly likely that she will receive a sentence of imprisonment or higher. A lawyer who requested anonymity said, "The prosecution applied multiple charges and appears to have confirmed the usage through personal accounts," supporting this outlook. Elected officials such as members of the National Assembly lose their seats if they receive imprisonment or higher in general criminal cases, or a fine of 1 million won or more in cases violating the Public Official Election Act or the Political Funds Act.

On the same day, Justice Memory Solidarity issued a statement regarding the prosecution's investigation results, saying, "It is utterly incomprehensible that an activist who has conducted legitimate activities according to procedures has been indicted for violating the Act on the Management of Subsidies, among other charges," and expressed regret over the prosecution's forced indictment.

However, the prosecution views Representative Yoon's fundraising activities as illegal. She is charged with violating the Act on the Regulation of Solicitation and Receipt of Donations for raising 170 million won in donations into a personal account under the names of the Butterfly Fund for supporting overseas victims of wartime sexual violence and funeral expenses for the late Kim Bok-dong. In particular, it is seen that she used funds such as the funeral expenses for the late Kim Bok-dong, a victim of the Japanese military's comfort women system, for personal purposes. This could completely shake the authenticity of her activities related to the victims of the Japanese military's comfort women, which played a significant role in her becoming a member of the National Assembly. The prosecution has identified that the amount arbitrarily used through personal account fundraising by Representative Yoon reaches about 100 million won. In response, Representative Yoon's side rebutted in a statement the day before, saying, "All the raised funds were used for public purposes."

However, there is also a possibility that Representative Yoon may be uncooperative in the trial by leveraging her status as a sitting lawmaker. The National Assembly entered a 100-day regular session starting from the 1st of this month, with upcoming national audits and budget reviews. Since the trial is non-custodial, it is difficult to rule out the possibility of delays in the trial due to the National Assembly schedule. Earlier in May, after the late victim Lee Yong-soo held a press conference criticizing the fund management of victim support organizations, civic groups filed complaints against Justice Memory Solidarity. The investigation into Representative Yoon and Justice Memory Solidarity was assigned to the Criminal Division 4 of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office on May 14 and was brought to trial after about 120 days.

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