ⓒYONHAP News

Lee Yong-soo, a surviving victim of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, held another news conference on Monday, further accusing the advocacy group Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan of misappropriating donations.

"When I held my first press conference, I said I blamed someone and that they had done wrong. But since then many unthinkable things have emerged. I think that’s something for the prosecutors to handle." 

While explaining the atrocities she suffered, the 91-year old activist said the civic group sold out the victims in its fundraising campaigns, which she claims have never benefited the victims.

"I was tricked and used. We did the work and just a handful of people used the money. I worked for 30 years. And the money got used by just a few people. Can I ask for an apology while ignoring this? That’s why I’m changing how I do my protests [against the Japanese]. I’m not ending them."

Lee also urged South Korea and Japan to properly educate their children about what happened to her and her fellow victims.

The civic group has been at the forefront of representing former "comfort women," the euphemism for victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, most famously as the organizer of the weekly Wednesday Protest in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul.

After nearly 30 years of campaigning with the Korean Council to call for Japan's formal apology, Lee first held a news conference earlier this month, claiming that donations made to the group had not been properly spent on the victims.

Since then, allegations snowballed with media delving into various suspicions related to the management of the organization and its former head Yoon Mi-hyang, a lawmaker-elect of the ruling Democratic Party.  

Then last week, prosecutors raided the main headquarters of the group in western Seoul and other related facilities to secure accounting data in an apparent investigation into alleged embezzlement and poor accounting practices.

While apologizing for causing pain to the elderly victims and the supporters of the campaign, the council has denied suspicions and asked for an external audit of its financial management.  

The civic group is also accused of purchasing a residential shelter for the elderly victims in the Seoul suburb of Anseong at a price higher than market value, and sold it at a cheap price last year. 

Researchers say about 200-thousand women from various countries were forced to work in military brothels for Japanese soldiers during World War II. Most of them were from Korea, which was colonized by Japan for 35 years until 1945.

Japan denies the forced nature of its military "comfort women" program.

Lawmaker-elect Yoon Mi-hyang denied the accusations in a press conference on Friday.

"Regardless of [my intentions to] carefully listen to the criticism and opinions raised by Grandma Lee Young-soo, it is a false claim that funds raised for the purpose of providing cash to the victims were not delivered to them."

During Friday's news conference, the activist-turned lawmaker-elect said the Korean council faithfully spent the money raised for the victims' living and welfare, but fundraising projects were also carried out for various other purposes, including awareness campaigns and education. She admitted, however, that it was problematic for her to have received donations through her personal bank account.

While denying various allegations of wrongdoing raised by the media, she also apologized to the elderly victims and the Korean public for failing to live up to their expectations.

"Once again, I would like to apologize for not living up to the expectations and support of the public and the elderly victims. I will thoroughly respond to the allegations in order not to damage the honor of the victims and the council's 30-year history of activism. If there are problems, I will take the corresponding responsibility. However, I would like you to stop defaming the achievements the victims and the council made together and distorting facts."