[One Year of Accounting Fraud Allegations] How Has Jeongui Gieok Yeondae Changed? (Comprehensive)

Allegations of Accounting Fraud Raised for 1 Year
2020 Business Report Published
Disclosure of Donation Usage Details and Donor List
Victim Support Projects Increased by 8%

The Network of Support Organizations for Victims of Japanese Military Sexual Slavery held a press conference on April 12th in front of the former Japanese Embassy on Pyeonghwa-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, demanding a just ruling in the lawsuit for damages against the Japanese government on April 21st. Inayeong, Chairperson of the Justice and Memory Foundation, is speaking. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The allegations of "accounting fraud" raised following the press conference criticizing the Justice and Memory Foundation (Jeonguiyeondae) by grandmother Lee Yong-soo, a victim of the Japanese military sexual slavery, mark their one-year anniversary on the 7th. Jeonguiyeondae, which aims to restore the honor and human rights of comfort women victims, has pledged reform during this period and is contemplating the direction of the comfort women civic movement.

Jeonguiyeondae revealed several suspicions and issues in the management of donations and the establishment process of the victims' shelter (House Where Peace and Healing Meet). The first to raise the issue was grandmother Lee Yong-soo (93), a comfort women victim who had participated in the Wednesday Demonstrations. On May 7 last year, she exposed that "Jeonguiyeondae's accounting is opaque" and that the (Wednesday) demonstrations "only teach hatred and wounds." As the main figure who ignited the comfort women movement suffered social damage, concerns arose that the momentum of related movements such as the Wednesday Demonstrations would weaken. Since then, Jeonguiyeondae has pledged to improve its accounting system and reform itself.

Evaluating the past year can be summarized as "some achievements but a long way to go." Last month, Jeonguiyeondae published the "2020 Business Report," which includes income and expenditure details and project contents. This was intended to improve transparency regarding the use of donations and inform citizens and supporters about the details of contributions. The report also contains the inflow routes and amounts of donations, usage details, and the list of donors. According to this report, the amount used for victim support projects was 16.83 million KRW, an 8.2% increase compared to 15.55 million KRW in 2019.

Han Kyung-hee, Secretary General of Jeonguiyeondae, said, "Annual activity reports have been continuously disclosed in various forms such as newspapers, but this time we supplemented and improved the format and content to increase accessibility for supporters and citizens and to convey activities and donation details more thoroughly." Lee Na-young, Chairperson of Jeonguiyeondae, also said, "Despite difficult circumstances, Jeonguiyeondae activists sincerely clarified the truth and did their best to correct false allegations. We will continue to strive to become a strong foundation with efficiency, systematization, and stability."

These improvement efforts by Jeonguiyeondae have received positive evaluations both inside and outside. However, it is also a time to consider the direction of a comfort women victims' organization without any victims. After the accounting fraud allegations surfaced last year, grandmother Gil Won-ok (93), a comfort women victim residing at the shelter in Mapo-gu, Seoul, operated by Jeonguiyeondae, passed away. Grandmother Gil was the only Japanese military comfort woman living at the Mapo shelter. With weakened ties to the grandmothers, Jeonguiyeondae inevitably faces ambiguity in the direction of the comfort women movement without victims.

Compensation lawsuits by Japanese military comfort women victims are also facing difficulties despite continuous efforts by Jeonguiyeondae and related organizations. On the 21st of last month, the Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 15 (Chief Judge Min Sung-chul) dismissed a lawsuit filed by grandmother Gil and 20 other victims and bereaved families against Japan. The dismissal was based on the principle of "state immunity" (sovereign immunity), which exempts a sovereign state like Japan from the jurisdiction of another country's courts. This ruling differs from the January decision by the same court's Civil Division 34 (Chief Judge Kim Jung-gon), which ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, including the late grandmother Bae Chun-hee and 12 other victims, stating that state immunity could not be applied.

Meanwhile, the trial of Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang, who is accused of embezzling and misusing donations while serving as chairperson of Jeonguiyeondae, has been stalled for eight months. Disputes between Yoon's side and the prosecution over the specification of some charges, including the appraisal value of the "House Where Peace and Healing Meet" (Anseong shelter), have extended the preparation hearings to the fifth session, which is expected to conclude by the end of this month. The formal trial is anticipated to begin in the second half of this year.