Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization by Imperial Japan Votes to Dismiss Chairman Shim Kyu-sun Over 'Forged Seal' Scandal

The Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization by Imperial Japan, an organization under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, announced that it has voted to dismiss Chairman Shim Kyu-sun and Secretary-General Park Min-seok.

This dismissal follows the results of a special audit by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety regarding inappropriate conduct, including the creation and use of a forged official seal during the foundation's process of implementing "third-party compensation" for victims of forced mobilization by Imperial Japan.

Previously, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety conducted an audit in March regarding allegations such as the forged seal and demanded the dismissal of Chairman Shim and others.

The ministry's investigation confirmed that Chairman Shim not only knew about the forgery of the seal but also ignored it and issued improper instructions to some staff members, essentially telling them "not to make an issue of it."

The board of directors passed the dismissal motion today (June 25) with the approval of a majority of the registered board members.

Following the board's decision, the remaining step is the formal removal process by the Minister of the Interior and Safety.

The third-party compensation scheme involves the foundation paying compensation and accrued interest to victims of forced mobilization who won Supreme Court rulings, using funds raised through voluntary private contributions instead of the Japanese companies involved.

In 2023, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration introduced this compensation plan as a solution for victims of forced mobilization by Imperial Japan.

However, when some victims opposed the third-party compensation and refused to accept the payments, the foundation proceeded to deposit the funds with the court. It was during this process that it was discovered the foundation had arbitrarily created and used a forged seal in its name.

Immediately after the dismissal vote, the board of directors released a statement saying, "We deeply apologize to the victims of forced mobilization who have suffered for a long time, their bereaved families, and the public for causing great disappointment and concern by failing to carefully oversee the third-party compensation process."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.