In Yoon Mee-hyang Trial, Jeong Dae-hyeop Accounting Officer States "Never Sent Money to Yoon Without Basis"

Independent lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang, who has been indicted on charges including embezzlement of funds from the Justice Memory Solidarity, is attending the second trial held on the afternoon of the 17th at the Western District Court in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] In the second trial of independent lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang, who was prosecuted on charges including embezzlement of subsidies and sponsorship funds, a witness who was in charge of accounting work at Jeongdaehyeop appeared and denied related allegations.

Yang No-ja (52), who was active in the Justice and Memory Foundation (Jeonguiyeondae) and its predecessor, the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan (Jeongdaehyeop), appeared as a witness at Yoon's second trial held on the 17th at the Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 11 (Presiding Judge Moon Byung-chan) and said, "Many activists devoted themselves to Jeongdaehyeop, and although there were errors in the process, there was nothing fraudulent."

Yang was active in Jeongdaehyeop from 2009 to 2018. During this period, he was also in charge of accounting work. Jeongdaehyeop, founded in 1990, merged with the Justice and Memory Foundation for the Resolution of the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery Issue in 2018 to become the Justice and Memory Foundation for the Resolution of the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery Issue (Jeonguiyeondae).

Yang also explained the expenditure method of Jeongdaehyeop, saying, "The person in charge would first spend (with personal money) or discuss the necessary parts and write an expenditure resolution, and I would reimburse it." He added, "There was only one corporate card in the office, so many people also used their personal cards," and "(Lawmaker Yoon) also brought receipts or sent evidence such as (bank) payment slips."

When the court asked, "Overall, do you think and judge that the activists did not lie? Even if there is no objective evidence, is it because it happens in a relationship of trust or in the course of work that they cannot lie?" Yang answered, "Yes."

The prosecution also questioned the 2 million won expenditure in 2015 by Jeongdaehyeop under the name of Yoon's medical expenses. Yang replied, "Representative Yoon had thyroid cancer and underwent surgery, and there was a huge event after the Korea-Japan agreement. Representative Han Il-yeom suggested, 'Since the surgery was due to Jeongdaehyeop's work, let's support it,' and I understand it was paid accordingly." The amount transferred from Jeongdaehyeop's corporate account to Yoon's personal account, including remuneration, is about 480 million won, and the prosecution has identified that about 36 million won among this was not properly recorded in the accounting books.

Lawmaker Yoon was indicted in September last year after suspicions arose through media reports. The prosecution applied eight charges against Yoon, including fraud, violation of the Act on the Management of Subsidies, Local Finance Act, Act on the Collection and Use of Donations, and embezzlement in the course of duty. The next trial will be held on October 29, after the National Assembly audit period.