SEOUL, South Korea — On Thursday, South Korea’s highest court issued a suspended prison sentence to a former lawmaker involved in embezzlement while leading an organization dedicated to assisting survivors of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery.
Yoon Meehyang was found guilty of misappropriating funds and fraudulently receiving government subsidies. She was also accused of unlawfully collecting donations but chose not to appear at the court for the ruling. The Supreme Court upheld a previous lower court’s sentence that imposed a year and six months of imprisonment, with the sentence suspended for three years. Yoon has yet to comment on the court’s decision.
The controversy surrounding Yoon and her organization, the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, began in 2020. This was sparked by accusations from one of the victims, Lee Yong-soo, who alleged that Yoon had improperly used donations and other funds and that minimal assistance was provided to the survivors.
Yoon, who recently began her term as a legislator for the liberal opposition Democratic Party, denied the allegations of financial impropriety. She asserted that the accusations were founded on misunderstandings regarding the group’s financial practices.
Historians report that tens of thousands of women from various Asian countries, predominantly Koreans, were forced into military brothels during the Japanese occupation to provide sexual services to soldiers. Although hundreds have been acknowledged by the South Korean government as victims, only eight remain alive today.
Yoon was indicted by prosecutors in September 2020 for embezzlement and fraud, shortly before the Democratic Party expelled her over other allegations related to questionable real estate dealings. She concluded her four-year term in the legislature last year as an independent member.
The Supreme Court’s ruling confirmed a verdict from the Seoul High Court in September of the previous year that found Yoon guilty of illicitly acquiring 65.2 million won (approximately $46,300) in government subsidies between 2014 and 2020 by falsely reporting labor expenses. She was also found guilty of embezzling 79 million won (roughly $56,150) from the organization’s funds.
Additionally, the court concluded that Yoon violated regulations by collecting donations using unregistered accounts during the funeral arrangements for Kim Bok-dong, a sexual slavery victim and activist who passed away in 2019.
The issues of sexual slavery, forced labor, and other violations that occurred during Japan’s colonial rule over Korea prior to the conclusion of World War II have consistently fueled tensions between South Korea and Japan.