The head of a civic group that spread false information about Japanese military "comfort women" victims and even staged protests in front of a school has been indicted and will stand trial in custody. Prosecutors said it was a serious crime that not only defamed the victims but also caused psychological harm to students.
The Public Investigation Division 3 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Director General Kim Jeong-ok) said on the 13th that it indicted Kim Byeong-heon, head of the Abolish the Comfort Women Act National Action, under detention on charges of defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, defamation of the deceased, violation of the Act on Assemblies and Demonstrations, and violation of the Child Welfare Act.
According to prosecutors, from January 2024 to this January, Kim posted on Facebook and YouTube 69 times, writing and uploading videos that called Japanese military comfort women victims "fake comfort women victims," "prostitutes," and "working women who signed contracts with pimps and made money." Prosecutors determined this to be defamation due to spreading false information.
Kim is also accused of holding an unreported rally last December in front of a high school where a Statue of a Girl was installed, hanging a banner that read "One career guide for prostitution." In the process, Kim also allegedly harmed children's mental health by causing two students to feel shame and discomfort.
After taking over the case, prosecutors questioned professors and civic group officials who had studied the comfort women issue to examine the structure of Kim's claims. They concluded that Kim had cut out the context before and after the victims' oral testimonies and, without presenting grounds for the claims, simply repeated the conclusion that "comfort women were prostitutes." Prosecutors defined this pattern of conduct as a crime of conviction based on a distorted belief.
During the investigation, prosecutors also found indications that Kim continued activities through donations from pro-Japan supporters. They said they determined that Kim received more than 76 million won into a bank account from pro-Japan supporters over the past five years.
Prosecutors deleted and blocked the defamatory posts and videos Kim uploaded online and also applied a restriction order under the Child Welfare Act that limits employment at child-related institutions when indicting Kim. Noting that the case infringed on the victims' honor and dignity and caused severe psychological pain, prosecutors said they will seek accountability commensurate with the crimes at trial.