Prosecutors Indict Civic Group Leader for Defaming Comfort Women Victims... Received 76 Million Won from Japanese Supporters

Posted 69 Defamatory Statements, Calling Comfort Women Victims "Fake"

Financed by Japanese Supporters

Provocative Rally in Front of Girls' High School... Prosecutors Also Charge Child Abuse

A conservative civic group leader who has damaged the honor of victims of the Japanese military 'comfort women' and held protests demanding the removal of the Statue of Peace has been indicted and will stand trial while in detention.

Kim Byungheon, the head of the National Action to Abolish the Comfort Women Law, who is accused of holding protests insulting the victims of the Japanese military 'comfort women', is appearing at Seocho Police Station in Seoul on February 3, 2026, for suspect questioning. Photo by Dongju Yoon

On April 13, the Third Public Investigation Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Jeongok) announced that Kim Byungheon, head of the National Action to Abolish the Comfort Women Law, had been indicted and detained on charges including defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, defamation of the deceased, violation of the Assembly and Demonstration Act, and violation of the Child Welfare Act.

According to the prosecution, between January 2024 and January 2026, Kim posted a total of 69 false statements and videos on platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, referring to three victims of the Japanese military comfort women as “fake comfort women victims,” “prostitutes,” and “women who signed contracts with pimps and earned money as sex workers.”

In addition, on December 29 of last year, Kim is accused of holding an unreported rally in front of a high school where the Statue of Peace is installed, holding a banner with provocative phrases such as “Career guidance for prostitution” and “Remove the monstrous comfort woman statue.” The prosecution determined that, during this event, Kim caused two students passing by to feel shame and discomfort, thereby harming the mental health of minors, and applied additional charges of child abuse.

Supplementary investigations by the prosecution revealed that Kim’s actions were financially supported by both domestic and Japanese backers. Under the objective of “erasing the history of Japanese military comfort women victims,” Kim received approximately 76 million won in donations from Japanese supporters over the past five years and used these funds for operational activities. It was found that they frequently reported their activities via Telegram messages, shared specific plans such as the removal of the Statue of Peace and revisions to Korean history textbooks, and maintained ongoing coordination.

To remove or block Kim’s defamatory content, the prosecution requested cooperation from the Korea Communications Standards Commission. In addition, regarding charges of child abuse involving the use of sexually explicit hate speech in front of an educational institution, the prosecution also applied the employment restriction order under the Child Welfare Act to prevent recidivism when filing charges.

A prosecution official stated, “This case is a serious crime that infringes on the dignity and character of the victims and has caused them severe psychological suffering. We will make every effort to ensure that the defendant receives a punishment commensurate with the crime.”

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