South Chungcheong Civil Society Calls for Revocation of Iyagi Village Corporation License

Accounting Fraud, Retaliation, and Whistleblower Standby Orders Spark Controversy
"Facility Must Be Normalized Through Public Management"

As the controversy over accounting fraud and retaliation against a public interest whistleblower at 'Iyagi Village,' a residential facility for people with severe disabilities in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, continues to escalate, civil society and labor organizations have called on the provincial government to take strong normalization measures, including revoking the corporation's license.

The South Chungcheong Civil Society Solidarity, Iyagi Village Emergency Countermeasures Committee, and the Sejong-Chungnam Regional Labor Union held a press conference in the briefing room of the South Chungcheong Provincial Government on January 6, urging the authorities to "normalize the facility by revoking the corporate license of the Iyagi Village Social Welfare Corporation and transitioning to public management."

They also demanded the formation of a joint public-private consultative body with Boryeong City, a special labor inspection by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and an investigation by judicial authorities.

Kim Kwangsu, head of the Sejong-Chungnam Regional Labor Union, stated, "Since the public interest report, there has been ongoing organized retaliation targeting the branch president and the union," and demanded, "Immediately revoke the unfair standby orders and pay the overdue wages."

He added, "As a result of Boryeong City's inspection, penalty surcharges were imposed, and although the facility director was found guilty and fined by the court, they continue to evade responsibility and persist in retaliatory actions."

Lee Sunsook, head of the Boryeong Parents' Association for the Disabled, said, "Iyagi Village is a public space operated on the basis of citizens' trust," and emphasized, "Transparency and accountability in management have been seriously undermined. The truth must be disclosed without concealment, and if responsibility is confirmed, decisive action must follow."

She particularly stressed, "The voices of the victims, their families, and the local community must not be excluded."

Lee Jihoon, head of the South Chungcheong branch of the Justice Party, stated, "Care work is not a field for profit-seeking but must prioritize the public interest," and added, "With allegations of accounting fraud, misappropriation of subsidies, labor repression, and abuse of people with disabilities, the province must conduct a direct investigation and initiate procedures to revoke the corporation's license."

He further noted, "We are conducting a comprehensive investigation of all care facilities in the province."

Han Jaehee, head of the Iyagi Village branch, demanded: ▲Revocation of the social welfare corporation's license and transition to public management ▲Withdrawal of unfair disciplinary actions against the whistleblower ▲Immediate formation of a joint public-private consultative body in Boryeong City ▲Special labor inspection and investigation ▲Official investigations by the provincial and city councils.

Meanwhile, although the board of directors at Iyagi Village recently replaced the CEO and some directors, civil society organizations reiterated that "restoring trust is impossible through personnel changes alone," and continued to demand institutional and administrative decisions.