Police Investigate Forgery Allegations in Forced Labor Compensation Plan; Victims' Families Demand Strict Punishment

The Yoon Suk-yeol administration's handling of the forced wartime labor issue has once again come under intense scrutiny, this time with allegations of forgery and undue influence. A government audit revealed that the foundation established to handle compensation for victims of Japanese forced labor under colonial rule allegedly used forged seals to expedite payments, a move that has ignited outrage among victims' families and civic groups.

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The third-party payment by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is a great crime that obstructs the realization of historical justice. This humiliating solution, which lacks an apology and compensation from the perpetrator company, Japanese steel, has brought further insult to the victims.

These groups are now calling for a full investigation and severe punishment for key figures, including the current head of the foundation and a former presidential aide. They argue that the 'third-party payment plan,' which bypassed demands for apology and compensation from the Japanese perpetrators, was a "humiliating solution" and a "great crime" that obstructs historical justice. The allegations suggest that the presidential office exerted pressure to finalize these payments by early July, ahead of diplomatic schedules and to quell public sentiment regarding the Fukushima wastewater release.

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The forced labor victim support foundation under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, in order to expedite the court's escrow procedures, was found to have created and used fake seals at least 58 times.

Further complicating matters are accusations that a law firm appointed to handle the court's escrow process was changed under pressure from the presidential office, with the new firm allegedly led by the father of a presidential aide. Victims' families are particularly incensed, with one stating that their father refused the third-party payment until his death, and that the administration exploited his weakened state due to illness to forge his signature. This situation underscores the deep divisions and historical grievances surrounding the compensation issue, with activists demanding the complete abandonment of the third-party payment plan and accountability for all involved.

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The National Security Office issued a directive to 'finalize the escrow by early July,' citing concerns that diplomatic schedules with Japan, including the Aug. 15 Liberation Day and the Korea-US-Japan summit, would be disrupted, and to quell anti-Japanese sentiment over the release of Fukushima wastewater, thereby deeply intervening in the case.