"Professional Women" Insult Directed at Comfort Women Victims... Kim Byungheon Indicted Again

"Firm Response to Malicious Defamation of Comfort Women"
Prosecutors Bring Additional Charges Against Kim Byungheon

Kim Byungheon, the representative of the Citizens' Action to Repeal the Comfort Women Act, who is accused of defaming Japanese military comfort women victims and the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance (Jeongui Memory Solidarity), has been brought to trial.

On June 17, the Criminal Division 1 and Public Investigation Division 3 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office announced that Kim had been additionally indicted on charges of defaming Lee Yong-soo, a Japanese military comfort women victim, and the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance. Kim was previously indicted and detained in April on charges of defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act, defamation of the deceased, violation of the Assembly and Demonstration Act, and violation of the Child Welfare Act.

Kim Byunghun, the representative of the Citizens' Action for the Abolition of the Comfort Women Law, who is accused of holding protests insulting Japanese military 'comfort women' victims, is appearing at Seocho Police Station in Seoul for suspect interrogation on February 3, 2026. Photo by Dongju Yoon

According to the prosecution, from 2021 to 2022, Kim held counter-protests near the Peace Monument in Jongno-gu, Seoul, during the weekly Wednesday rallies organized by the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance. He allegedly referred to the comfort women victims by their real names and made statements implying they were "professional women who worked at Japanese brothels" and "fake comfort women." Prosecutors determined that these remarks went beyond mere expression of opinion and constituted the dissemination of false facts that damaged the victims' social reputation.

The prosecution also found Kim's remarks about the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance problematic. They judged that his actions—describing the organization's activities as "lies" and a "fraud," or claiming it was colluding with the Communist Party—harmed the group's social standing.

However, prosecutors explained that not all critical remarks were brought to trial. Some of Kim's comments criticizing the former director of the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance over past embezzlement cases were deemed expressions of opinion and were not prosecuted. The prosecution stated, "We will respond firmly to those who maliciously defame Japanese military comfort women victims and spread false information."

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