Ministry of the Interior and Safety Requests Dismissal of Shim Kyuseon as Chairman of Forced Mobilization Foundation

Audit Conducted Over Forged Seal Allegations

Kyu-Sun Shim, Chairman of the Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization under Japanese Occupation (right), is entering the press room at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 13th to hold a briefing on Korea-Japan relations. Photo by Dongjoo Yoon doso7@

The government has requested the dismissal of Shim Kyuseon, Chairman of the Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization under Japanese Rule.

According to relevant ministries on March 24, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety conducted an audit regarding the so-called "forged seal" allegations and recently requested the foundation to dismiss Chairman Shim.

The foundation became embroiled in controversy after it was revealed that it had arbitrarily produced an official seal in the foundation's name during the process of depositing compensation payments with the court for victims of forced mobilization. It is reported that Chairman Shim was aware of the forgery but condoned it, and gave inappropriate instructions to some employees not to raise the issue.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety determined that Chairman Shim's actions may constitute aiding and abetting an illegal act under Article 32 of the Criminal Act. An official from the ministry stated, "Chairman Shim can request a retrial within one month of receiving the notice of disposition, and the dismissal will be decided through a resolution of the board of directors," adding, "The process will proceed in accordance with the relevant procedures."

Previously, in 2023, the Yoon Suk Yeol administration proposed a "third-party repayment plan" as a compensation measure for victims of forced mobilization under Japanese rule. The third-party repayment solution involves the foundation securing funds through private contributions and paying compensation and delayed interest to victims who have received a confirmed court judgment, in place of Japanese companies.

During this process, when some victims refused to accept the compensation, the foundation deposited the funds with the court. It was then revealed that employees had arbitrarily produced and used the foundation's official seal.

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