"Comfort Women Victims Act" Enforced on June 11... Up to 5 Years in Prison for Spreading False Information

Prohibition of Defamation and Dissemination of False Information About Comfort Women Victims
Survey on Commemorative Monuments to Be Conducted
Management System to Be Strengthened

The amendment to the “Act on the Protection, Support, and Memorial Projects for Victims of Japanese Military Sexual Slavery (Comfort Women Victims Act),” which prohibits and establishes grounds for punishing the dissemination of false information regarding victims of Japanese military sexual slavery, will be fully enforced starting June 11.

Yonhap News Agency

Accordingly, it will now be possible to impose criminal penalties on those who deny or distort the facts regarding the Japanese military “comfort women” and spread false information. Until now, there were limitations in addressing historical distortion through criminal defamation or defamation of the deceased charges under the Criminal Act alone.

Victims of the comfort women system have testified about their experiences for many years, sharing the truth and conveying the values of human rights and peace. However, acts of denial, distortion, and dissemination of false information about their experiences have continued up to the present day. In particular, repeated acts of damage or insult to monuments dedicated to victims, such as the Statue of Peace, have emerged as a serious social issue.

With the enforcement of this law, those who disseminate false information regarding the facts of the comfort women victims through newspapers, broadcasting, the internet, exhibitions, performances, forums, or press conferences may be subject to up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won. However, activities conducted for legitimate purposes such as art, academic research, or reporting are excluded from punishment, thereby ensuring freedom of expression and academic freedom.

Additionally, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will conduct a survey to assess the installation and management status of symbolic or commemorative monuments dedicated to comfort women victims. In October of last year, the ministry distributed a “Standard Ordinance on the Protection and Management of the Statue of Peace and Similar Memorials” to local governments nationwide.

An official from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family stated, “With the introduction of this survey system, we plan to further strengthen the public management framework for commemorative monuments in cooperation with local governments.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.