[Deputy Director Column] Yoon Mi-hyang and Son Hye-won

Yoon Mi-hyang, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending and listening to a lecture at the Minpyeongryeon expert meeting held at the National Assembly on the 16th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Ji Yeon-jin] "Ah! It was shocking. When an economic newspaper steps in (seeing that it did), I thought, is Japanese funding at work?"

Reading again the interview Yoon Mi-hyang, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, gave to a certain media outlet last April when she was a proportional representative candidate for the Together Citizens' Party, it finally makes sense. This explains why Yoon and the Justice and Memory Foundation (Jeonguiyeon) label the media and opposition parties raising accounting fraud allegations as 'native pro-Japanese forces' and refuse to resign from their parliamentary seats.

Yoon publicly claimed that after conservative newspapers criticized her daughter's study abroad in the U.S., economic newspapers began to echo this, saying "Japanese funds are moving, it's shocking." His delusional remarks, raising a clumsy conspiracy theory to justify himself without any understanding of media dynamics, are rather shocking from a journalist's perspective.

After Grandma Lee Yong-soo's press conference last month, the primary culprit in spreading suspicions about Jeonguiyeon's use of donations was Yoon's daughter's study abroad expenses. When controversy arose, Yoon explained it was a "full scholarship," but later changed the story to say it was her husband's criminal compensation, which only fueled suspicion. Furthermore, it was revealed that Yoon collected funeral expenses for comfort women victims such as Grandma Kim Bok-dong through her personal account. The Anseong shelter purchased for 750 million won was sold at a loss of 300 million won. Although it was bought to facilitate the comfort women grandmothers' participation in Wednesday demonstrations, it was difficult to use due to poor accessibility, being far from Seoul. Moreover, Yoon's father lived in this shelter and received a salary under the pretext of managing it.

Jeonguiyeon's spending of more donations on projects other than supporting comfort women grandmothers raises questions about the organization's purpose. Setting that aside, Yoon should have shown a willingness to take appropriate responsibility for raising funds through a personal account, which she herself admitted, and for the mismanagement of the Anseong shelter where her father was employed. Yet, Yoon's attitude in the prosecution investigation is to explain herself and take responsibility if wrongdoing is later revealed. The trust of the entire nonprofit sector, which works quietly in harsh conditions, has plummeted, and it is not right to dismiss a series of corruptions as "minor mistakes." One wonders if she is still trapped in the delusion that those raising suspicions are "native pro-Japanese forces."

The way Yoon and the pro-government camp respond to this issue resembles the case of former lawmaker Son Hye-won, who left the Democratic Party of Korea last year amid allegations of speculative real estate investment in Mokpo. The difference is that Son voluntarily left the party immediately after speculation allegations surfaced, despite being embroiled in various controversies inside and outside the party. Son was accused of speculation for purchasing 22 properties in Mokpo under her own, family, and acquaintances' names before the area was designated for urban regeneration.

Independent lawmaker Sohn Hye-won, who is under suspicion of real estate speculation in the Mokpo area of Jeollanam-do, is attending the second trial held at the Southern District Court in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul on the 21st. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Although prices rose after Son's concentrated purchases, compared to Seoul real estate that increased by hundreds of millions of won, it seemed minor to label it speculation for profit. Pro-government figures defended Son for this reason, saying it was not speculation. She even pledged to donate all her assets to society and resign if speculation was confirmed.

However, according to the prosecution's investigation, on May 18, 2017, Son received urban regeneration project materials from Mokpo City Hall officials and began acquiring real estate in June. The prosecution demanded a four-year prison sentence, stating she "deprived residents living in underdeveloped environments of urban regeneration opportunities."

Of course, Son's guilt or innocence has not yet been finalized. However, Yoon and Jeonguiyeon avoided explaining various allegations citing "prosecution investigation" and ignored the public questioning her, only saying they would "talk to the prosecution." The delusions and self-justifications embedded from the start of the allegations to the response may protect Yoon's parliamentary seat for the time being. But is it only the reporter's delusion to think that this could result in tarnishing the future of the comfort women movement and civil society organizations to which she has devoted her life?