'Embezzlement Allegations' Yoon Mee-hyang Says at First Trial, "I Have Lived 32 Years to Resolve the Comfort Women Issue"

Assemblywoman Yoon Mi-hyang Facing 8 Charges Including Fraud and Embezzlement
First Trial Held 1 Year and 3 Months After Donation Misuse Allegations Emerged

Independent lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang, who has been indicted on charges including embezzlement of funds from the Justice Memory Solidarity, is heading to the courtroom of Criminal Division 11 at the Seoul Western District Court for her first trial on the afternoon of the 11th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] Yoon Mee-hyang, an independent lawmaker indicted on charges including embezzlement of donations to the Justice and Memory Foundation (Jeonguiyeokdae), appeared at her first trial and denied the allegations against her.

The Criminal Division 11 of the Seoul Western District Court (Presiding Judge Moon Byung-chan) held the first hearing for Yoon and A (46), a director of Jeonguiyeokdae, on the 11th. Previously, in September last year, Yoon was indicted without detention on charges including violation of the Subsidy Management Act and the Act on the Collection and Use of Donations, embezzlement and breach of trust in the course of duty, and quasi-fraud. A was also indicted on charges including violation of the Subsidy Management Act, violation of the Local Finance Act, fraud, violation of the Act on the Collection and Use of Donations, and breach of trust in the course of duty.

At the court, Yoon stated, "Since I was 28 years old, I have lived as an activist of Jeongdaehyeop for the past 32 years to resolve the comfort women issue," adding, "The harsh investigation over the past year has hurt me, my family, and senior members of Jeongdaehyeop, which pains my heart."

She then argued that the prosecution's charges lack basis. Yoon said, "The prosecution's premise is that Jeonguiyeokdae and Jeongdaehyeop (the predecessor of Jeonguiyeokdae) are Yoon Mee-hyang's private organizations, but that is not true," adding, "Jeongdaehyeop has a professional committee composed of representatives' meetings, board of directors, and an operations committee. It is not at the discretion of the three co-representatives, including myself, but formed based on recommendations from member organizations."

The prosecution judged that the War and Women's Human Rights Museum operated by Jeongdaehyeop falsely registered as having a curator, a legal requirement for museum registration, despite not having one, thereby fraudulently receiving government subsidies from 2013 to 2020. Furthermore, it was reported that a total of 4.1 billion KRW in donations were collected into the organization's account without registering with the competent authorities, and 170 million KRW in donations were collected into a personal account under the names of the Butterfly Fund for supporting overseas sexual violence victims and funeral expenses for Grandmother Kim Bok-dong.

Yoon's defense attorney argued, "A legal interpretation is needed regarding whether a curator is stationed at the museum, and museum registration and subsidy application should be viewed separately," adding, "The defendant did not gain any benefit from receiving the subsidies, and there was no motive for the crime." Regarding the allegations under the Act on the Collection and Use of Donations, the defense stated, "The Western District Prosecutor's Office already dismissed the same charges in 2016. This is an abuse of prosecution rights," and added, "It is difficult to understand parts such as treating condolence money as donations."

Regarding the operation of the Anseong shelter lodging business, the defense explained, "There were 53 instances over 66 months, averaging 0.8 times per month, with many counted redundantly," and said, "It is difficult to view these acts as continuously and persistently operating a lodging business for profit."

On the charge of inducing Grandmother Gil Won-ok, who suffers from severe dementia, to donate 50 million KRW, the defense responded, "If we accept the prosecution's claim that Grandmother Gil's actions since 2014 were not her own due to severe dementia symptoms, then I would like to ask whether Grandmother Gil's adoption of a son-in-law in May last year was also not her own will."

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