Yoon Mi-hyang Sentenced to Probation in 2nd Trial... Ruling Party Says "Must Resign Voluntarily"

Yeo "Lee, who defended Yoon Mi-hyang, must apologize to the people"

Independent lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang was sentenced to imprisonment in the second trial on charges of embezzling donations to the Justice and Memory Foundation (Jeonguiyeon), prompting the ruling party to urge her to voluntarily resign.

On the 20th, Yoo Sang-beom, senior spokesperson for the People Power Party, issued a statement saying, "In February, Yoon, who received a fine of 15 million won in the first trial, appealed claiming it was a 'reckless prosecution by the prosecution,' but the court delivered a stern judgment to Yoon, who not only showed no remorse but did not even recognize the gravity of her crime."

Earlier that day, Yoon was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 3-year probation for violating the Act on the Collection and Use of Donations. The first trial court acquitted most of Yoon’s charges and recognized only part of the embezzlement charges as guilty, sentencing her to a fine of 15 million won. However, in the second trial, the amount of embezzlement recognized increased significantly to 80 million won, and some charges that were acquitted in the first trial were overturned to guilty.

Independent lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang, who is accused of misappropriating donations intended for the Justice Memory Solidarity, is responding to reporters' questions as she leaves after attending the second trial sentencing hearing at the Seoul High Court in Seocho-dong, Seoul, on the 20th. On the same day, the Seoul High Court sentenced Yoon to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 3-year probation for charges including violation of the Fundraising Act. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Senior spokesperson Yoo criticized, "Even so, considering the wounds the comfort women victims must have suffered and the anger felt by the entire nation, today’s verdict cannot be called heavy enough," and pointed out, "Yoon, who filled her own greed through unimaginable criminal acts, acted as if she had received a pardon rather than reflecting on herself after the first trial verdict."

He continued, "Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, also defended Yoon immediately after the first trial verdict, saying, 'How unfair it must have been for him who was completely denied his life and became a devil,' and apologized saying, 'I also doubted, so I am sorry. I was wrong,' which practically encouraged Yoon’s reckless behavior."

Senior spokesperson Yoo added, "Is it not proper, even now, to apologize to the comfort women victims and the public for allowing Yoon to remain in the National Assembly and defending her as if she were innocent?"

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