SEOUL-- Independent lawmaker Youn Mee-hyang was sentenced by a court to a fine of 15 million won (US$11,900) on Friday for embezzling funds donated to help support women who were forced into wartime sexual slavery by Japan during World War II.

Youn was indicted in 2020 for collecting hundreds of millions of won in donations to her private bank accounts and spending some of that money for personal matters, while heading a major civic group for wartime sexual slavery victims, the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery.

Youn led the group between 2005-20 before winning a parliamentary seat on the Democratic Party's (DP) ticket in 2020. The DP expelled Youn in 2021, and she has since been an independent.

The Seoul Western District Court handed out the monetary penalty to the 58-year-old Youn after finding her guilty of embezzling about 17 million won from funds deposited in the council's and her personal accounts.

The court, however, acquitted Youn of violating the donation collection law and other charges pressed by prosecutors who previously demanded an imprisonment of five years.

"It is recognized that (she) personally embezzled about 17.18 million won from funds deposited in the council's and her personal accounts," the court said in a verdict.

As for the other charges, the court added, "Even if she did not use the donations for their proper purposes, it is possible to see she directly or indirectly used the money for the council, judging from the date, time, amount and place of the use."

If the court ruling is confirmed by the top court, Youn will retain her parliamentary seat. By law, a lawmaker loses his or her seat if given a confirmed prison term.

The prosecution said it will challenge the court decision, saying the court did not make a balanced judgment by accepting the unilateral claim by the accused.

Source: Yonhap News Agency