Kim Byungheon protests the presence of the comfort women statue in front of the former Embassy of Japan in Seoul. (©Kim Byungheon)
A South Korean court on Friday issued an arrest warrant for Kim Byungheon, the head of a civic group that has campaigned for the removal of so-called comfort women statues, saying that the 68-year old defendant posed a flight risk.
Kim is accused of holding an unauthorized demonstration on December 29, 2025, in front of Seocho High School in Seoul, where he displayed a banner calling for the removal of a comfort women statue within the school premises.
Authorities also allege he damaged similar statues across the country, including by covering them with masks and plastic bags.
Police applied for the arrest warrant on March 13 on charges including defamation and violations of the Child Welfare Act.
Arrested in Statue Dispute
Over the past several years, Kim has traveled between South Korea and Japan advocating against the statues. He has also regularly staged counterprotests against the weekly Wednesday rallies held by the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance, South Korea's largest comfort women advocacy group, outside the former Japanese Embassy in Seoul.
Kim has maintained that no Korean women were forcibly abducted by the Japanese military during Japan's colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula and that the monument commemorating it distorts historical facts.
Kim's lawyer, Jang Dal-young, criticized the court's decision and said he would seek a review of the detention. "It is difficult to accept that flight risk has been cited as grounds for detention when Kim's residence is clearly established," Jang said.
Prosecutors argued during the court hearing that Kim could attempt to flee to Japan, citing his close ties with Japanese civic groups. Jang rejected the claim, noting that Kim is currently subject to a travel ban.
In a statement, the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance welcomed the arrest, saying that its weekly rallies have faced "organized and sustained disruptions" by what it described as far-right historical revisionist groups.
The organization accused such groups of echoing the Japanese government's position and undermining the dignity of victims.
Free Speech Concerns Intensify
Meanwhile, the latest arrest has raised concerns among some observers that it could suppress dissenting views challenging mainstream historical interpretations in South Korea.
The controversy intensified after President Lee Jae-myung publicly criticized Kim prior to his arrest, referring to him as "a beast that harms people."
In an interview with JAPAN Forward before his detention, Kim said police were pressuring him over matters that did not constitute legitimate grounds for investigation. He also accused the Lee administration of outwardly promoting improved ties with Japan while suppressing heterodox voices in academia and the media at home.
The arrest comes amid broader legislative developments in South Korea. On February 12, the National Assembly, led by Lee's ruling Democratic Party, passed a revision allowing criminal penalties for those spreading false information related to the comfort women issue.
The law, which carries penalties of up to five years in prison or fines of up to ₩50 million KRW (approximately $37,000), is expected to take effect in June.
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Author: Kenji Yoshida
