Civic group apologizes for misuse of 'comfort women' shelter

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Sat, December 9, 2023 | 23:39

Politics

Civic group apologizes for misuse of 'comfort women' shelter

Posted : 2020-05-17 16:42

Updated : 2020-05-18 10:19

A country house in this photo was bought in 2013 by the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, to provide shelter to the surviving victims of Japan's wartime sex slavery. But criticism is abounding as the victims were never allowed to stay there. Korea Times photo by Kim Young-hoon

By Jun Ji-hye

A civic group advocating for Korean victims of Japan's wartime sex slavery has acknowledged that its use of a "healing center" went against the original purpose of providing shelter to the surviving victims.

"We are sincerely sorry about our failure to properly carry out a project to support the wartime sex slavery victims," the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan said in a statement, Saturday.

The healing center is a country house built on 800 square meters of land in Anseong, Gyeoggi Province.

The group spent about 750 million won ($608,000) to buy the property in 2013, using donations from Hyundai Heavy Industries.

But suspicions have recently arisen that the surviving victims, who were forced to serve soldiers in brothels during World War II, were never afforded the opportunity to live at the healing center in the past seven years, while the father of Yoon Mi-hyang, who led the group until she won a proportional representation National Assembly seat in April for the Civil Together party, has been residing there and acting as a "property manager."

Civil Together is a satellite party of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.

Critics claimed the healing center has been sometimes used as venues for retreats and workshops of other groups such as political parties and churches.

"Drinking and barbecue parties have taken place at the healing center that was supposed to be used for the victims of Japan's wartime sex slavery," the main opposition United Future Party vice spokesman Hwang Kyu-hwan said.

The Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan said Yoon's father resided at the healing center to serve as a building manager, acknowledging that it was inappropriate to appoint a family member of the group's executive to such a post.

Yoon's father has received 75.8 million won over the past six years for "managing" the building, the group noted, adding that he performed his job sincerely.

jjh@ktimes.com