Police have launched an investigation into the head of a group who insulted victims of the Japanese military's "comfort women" system and damaged the meaning of the "Statue of Peace."
An official at the Korean National Police Agency said at a regular press briefing of the National Office of Investigation (NOI) on the 16th that on the 13th they applied for an arrest warrant for Kim Byung-heon, head of the Abolish the Comfort Women Act National Action. The charges applied to Kim include defamation of the deceased, violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, and violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act.
Kim is suspected of holding rallies last December in front of the main gates of A High School in Seocho District, Seoul, and B Girls' Middle and High School in Seongdong District, hanging banners with provocative phrases. The banners Kim used at the time carried derogatory wording such as "You put up a comfort woman statue on campus and offer career counseling for prostitution."
Police view Kim's actions as constituting emotional abuse of students. In particular, they are investigating on the grounds that Kim's claims not only run counter to historically proven facts but also exceed the constitutional limits of freedom of expression.
The Seocho Police Station in Seoul was designated as the lead investigative agency for the case and searched Kim's residence in January. On the 3rd of last month, they summoned Kim as a suspect and questioned him.