The head of a civic group accused of insulting victims of the Japanese military's "comfort women" system and undermining the meaning of the "Statue of Peace" has been sent to prosecutors in custody.
The Seocho Police Station in Seoul said on the 26th that it had referred Kim Byeong-heon, head of Abolish the Comfort Women Act National Action, to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office under arrest on charges including defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, defaming the deceased, violating the Child Welfare Act, and violating the Act on Assemblies and Demonstrations.
Kim is accused of unfurling banners reading phrases such as "You set up a comfort woman statue on campus and provide career guidance for prostitution?" in front of the main gates of A High School in Seocho District and B High School in Seongdong District in Dec. last year. The court issued an arrest warrant for Kim on the 20th.
Kim applied to the court for a review of the legality of the arrest on the 24th, but the court, after reviewing the case the previous day, rejected it, saying there was "no reason for the request."