"Lee Chunsik's Eldest Son Accuses Siblings of Forging Signature for 'Third-Party Payment'"

Claim of "Application Forgery During Dementia Care"

Lee Changhwan, the eldest son of Lee Chunsik, a forced labor victim during the Japanese colonial period, is expressing his position at a press conference held on the afternoon of the 30th in front of the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Lee stated that he was unaware that his father had received third-party compensation, adding, "My father has been hospitalized in a nursing hospital due to old age and delirium recently, making normal communication difficult." He argued, "As his son, I cannot accept that he agreed to third-party compensation with the Forced Mobilization Support Foundation under these circumstances." Photo by Yonhap News

The police have launched an investigation after receiving a complaint alleging that two children of the late Lee Chunsik, a victim of forced labor during the Japanese colonial period, forged private documents in the process of receiving compensation through the third-party reimbursement method.

According to the Gwangju Seobu Police Station on the 7th, in January, Lee Changhwan, the eldest son of Mr. Lee, submitted a complaint stating that "two younger siblings forged the application form to receive the compensation payment."

The complaint claims, "Last October, while Mr. Lee was receiving care at a hospital due to dementia, the two siblings signed the application for payment of the court-ordered compensation to the Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization under Japanese Occupation, on his behalf," and further alleges, "This constitutes fraud and forgery of private documents, as it goes against Mr. Lee's intention not to receive compensation through the third-party reimbursement method."

The police, having received the complaint, recently obtained a search and seizure warrant and reportedly secured documents such as the payment application form from the Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization under Japanese Occupation.

The police are also reviewing medical records from the hospital where Mr. Lee, who passed away this January, was treated to determine whether he had the mental capacity to make decisions at the time of the signature.

At the age of 17 in the 1940s, Mr. Lee was taken to Kamaishi Ironworks in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, and endured forced labor.

The family of Mr. Lee received the compensation and delayed interest awarded by the Supreme Court’s ruling from the foundation last October.

At that time, the eldest son, Lee Changhwan, held a press conference, stating, "My father was in a condition where normal communication was difficult due to old age and delirium," and argued, "As his son, I cannot accept that he expressed consent to the third-party reimbursement to the foundation."