Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Expresses Gratitude to Kim Won-woong, President of Gwangbokhoe

On the last day of the Liberation Day holiday, the 16th, a memorial banner for General Hong Beom-do is hung on the outer wall of the Government Seoul Office Building. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs posted the banner with the slogan "The Return of the General" to remember and honor General Hong Beom-do's remains together with the public. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] An audit is set to begin regarding allegations that Kim Won-woong, president of the Gwangbokhoe, misappropriated profits from a cafe operated at the National Assembly.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs stated on the 27th, "The audit will cover all issues raised through media reports and tips. We will mobilize all audit capabilities to produce and announce results as soon as possible and take necessary follow-up measures."

Earlier, on the 25th, a media outlet reported, citing former Gwangbokhoe executive A, that President Kim allegedly used 45 million won of cafe operation profits over the past year for personal purposes such as purchasing clothing and using barbershops. The controversial National Assembly cafe has been operated by Gwangbokhoe since May 2020 as part of a revenue-generating project to fund scholarships for children of national veterans.

However, President Kim issued a rebuttal statement the previous day, saying that whistleblower A was involved in revenue-related work at Gwangbokhoe and was exposed for corruption in September last year. Kim claimed that A is attempting to cover up his own corrupt acts by blaming the president and has also announced plans for legal action. Accordingly, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs’ audit is expected to verify the facts not only concerning President Kim and A but also the overall revenue-related business.