South Korean Parliament Advances Bill to Criminalize Comfort‑Women Defamation, Penalties Up to Five Years
Updated (7 articles)
Committee Approves Defamation Bill with Prison Terms The gender‑equality and family committee of the National Assembly voted on February 5, 2026 to criminalize false statements that defame World War II comfort‑women victims, allowing imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of 50 million won (≈US$34,100) [1]. The amendment now proceeds to the legislation and judiciary committee for further review before a full parliamentary vote [1]. Exemptions cover legitimate artistic, scholarly, research and journalistic work, reflecting a balance between protection of memory and freedom of expression [1].
President Lee Condemns Far‑Right Group’s Insults President Lee Jae Myung posted on February 1, 2026 that a far‑right civic organization denying comfort‑women victims should be “isolated” as societal “beasts,” emphasizing that free speech must respect others’ dignity [3]. He linked the group’s banner campaigns outside Seoul high schools to violations of defamation and assembly laws, urging authorities to pursue legal action [3]. Lee’s statement framed the controversy as a test of South Korea’s commitment to historical truth and public order [3].
Far‑Right Activist Leads Statue Removal Rally On February 4, 2026, activist Kim Byung‑heon organized a rally of about ten supporters in front of the former Japanese Embassy, demanding the removal of the girl statue that commemorates comfort‑women victims [2]. He reiterated his claim that the comfort‑women narrative is fabricated and faced police questioning for alleged defamation and breach of the Assembly and Demonstration Act [2]. The rally followed a police probe into a December banner he displayed at two Seoul high schools, which accused the statues of promoting prostitution [2].
Historical Context Underpins Legal and Social Response Scholars estimate roughly 200,000 women, primarily Korean, were forced into Japanese military “comfort stations” during the colonial period (1910‑45) [1]. Statues of a young girl have been installed on school grounds nationwide to honor these victims and raise awareness of wartime sexual slavery [3]. The combination of legislative action, presidential condemnation, and police investigations reflects a coordinated effort to protect this historical memory from denialist activism [1][2][3].
Sources
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1.
Yonhap: South Korean Parliament Moves to Criminalize Defamation of WWII “Comfort Women”: details the committee’s approval of a bill imposing up to five‑year prison terms, fines, media‑wide bans on false statements, and exemptions for legitimate expression .
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2.
Yonhap: Far‑right activist rallies in Seoul after police questioning, repeats comfort‑women denial: describes Kim Byung‑heon’s February 4 rally, his denial claims, police interrogation, and the banner controversy that triggered defamation charges .
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Yonhap: President Lee condemns far‑right group over comfort‑women statue insults: reports President Lee’s February 1 social‑media condemnation, the investigation into the Citizens’ Action for the Abolition of the Comfort Women Law group, and the legal basis for potential charges .
Timeline
1910‑1945 – Japan colonizes Korea and, during World War II, forces up to 200,000 women—most of them Korean—into military‑run “comfort stations” for sexual slavery, a fact repeatedly cited by scholars and central to today’s disputes [1][7].
Jan 6, 2026 – President Lee Jae Myung posts on X that the far‑right group’s demand to remove comfort‑women statues is “absurd” and labels it “defamation of the deceased,” underscoring government alarm over the protests and the police investigation into the group’s leader [7].
Jan 6, 2026 – Yangsan Police Station books an unnamed activist on defamation, assembly‑demonstration violations and property damage after a September complaint, launching a probe into a nationwide campaign to dismantle girl statues that symbolize comfort‑women victims; three participants also face investigation [6].
Jan 9, 2026 – Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education chief Jung Keun‑sik files a formal complaint seeking punishment for activist Kim Byung‑heon and his group on charges of defamation of the deceased, Child Welfare Act violations and obscene‑material distribution, citing insulting posts that target school‑installed comfort‑women statues [5].
Jan 19, 2026 – Police raid Kim Byung‑heon’s home as part of the defamation probe, following the education chief’s complaint; investigators examine alleged unregistered rallies, banner insults and attempts to dismantle the memorial statue near the former Japanese Embassy [4].
Feb 1, 2026 – President Lee Jae Myung condemns the far‑right civic organization on social media, calling its members “beasts that must be isolated,” and stresses that freedom of expression must coexist with respect for victims, while noting ongoing legal charges for defamation and illegal assembly [3].
Feb 4, 2026 – Far‑right activist Kim Byung‑heon leads a noon rally of about ten supporters in front of the former Japanese Embassy, demanding removal of the girl statue and reiterating that “comfort women are a fraud,” after being summoned by police for defamation and Assembly‑Demonstration Act violations [2].
Feb 5, 2026 – The National Assembly’s gender‑equality and family committee approves a defamation amendment that criminalizes false statements about WWII comfort‑women victims, authorizing up to five years’ imprisonment or a 50 million‑won fine while exempting legitimate artistic, scholarly and journalistic work; the bill now proceeds to the legislation and judiciary committee for further review before a full parliamentary vote later in 2026 [1].
All related articles (7 articles)
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Yonhap: South Korean Parliament Moves to Criminalize Defamation of WWII “Comfort Women”
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Yonhap: Far‑right activist rallies in Seoul after police questioning, repeats comfort‑women denial
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Yonhap: President Lee condemns far‑right group over comfort‑women statue insults
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Yonhap: Police raid home of far-right activist over defaming statues representing wartime sexual slavery victims
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Yonhap: Seoul education chief seeks punishment of activists over insults to comfort women statues
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Yonhap: Activist under probe for defaming victims of wartime sexual slavery as police investigate.
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Yonhap: Lee condemns far-right group over statues honoring wartime sexual-slavery victims