The ruling party ends up withdrawing “Yoon Mee-hyang Protection Act” “due to former comfort women’s
It was confirmed that so-called “Yoon Mee-hyang Protection Act” proposed by the Democratic Party has been withdrawn.
On August 26, according to the National Assembly Bill Information System, the draft amendment to the Comfort Women Act that prohibits defamation of former comfort women and related organizations, which was proposed by lawmaker In Jae-geun, was withdrawn the day before (August 25).
The bill was controversial because it made it possible to punish cases of defamation by revealing facts about former comfort women. Also, prohibiting defamation against not only former comfort women but also related organizations led to criticism of “Yoon Mee-hyang Protection Act.” Lawmaker Yoon Mee-hyang co-sponsored the bill.
Yoon, former head of the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Slavery by Japan, is in the process of being indicted on charges of misappropriating funds for former comfort women.
For this reason, even a former comfort woman, Lee Yong-soo who had raised the suspicion of the Korean Council objected to it.
An official from lawmaker In Jae-geun’s office said in our telephone interview, “The bill was created in an attempt to protect former comfort women but they are opposed to it. Therefore, we have decided to withdraw it. There is no other reason.”
Chosun Ilbo August 26, 2021
https://www.chosun.com/politics/politics_general/2021/08/26/DH4NDP5JBFF53EHMUEGJB4IJ3M/