hankyoreh

The Korea Parent Federation offices in Seoul’s Jongno district were closed on Apr. 25. On the exterior windows are the names of various other right-wing organizations whose offices are in the same building. (by Kim Bong-kyu

Amid accusations that the Korea Parent Federation (KPF) used 120 million won (US$105,700) of indirect funding from the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) for pro-government demonstrations, more evidence has been uncovered that the Korea Parent Federation mobilized closely affiliated or dubious missionary foundations and volunteer organizations to rustle up donations from large corporations. There are also accusations that the Korea Parent Federation has maintained puppet organizations which it used to acquire external funding for organizing pro-government demonstrations.

Hankyoreh reporters learned on Apr. 25 that the Korea Parent Foundation held an event “for sharing hope with young North Korean defectors” in its office on Sep. 13, 2013, an event that was organized by the Bethel Gospel Missionary Welfare Foundation and sponsored by the CJ Corporation. An event “for sharing hope with single-parent families” that took place just one day later, on Sep. 14, was once again organized by the Bethel Gospel Missionary Welfare Foundation and sponsored by the CJ Corporation.

During a video of the event on Sep. 13, KPF secretary general Choo Seon-hee introduced the defector groups as the people who “moved the candles on May 2” and who “worked hard with us on behalf of the Republic of Korea.” The remark about “the candles on May 2” is presumably a reference to a demonstration calling for an investigation into allegations about election interference that was held on the plaza in front of Seoul City Hall. At the time, the Korea Parent Federation held a demonstration opposing the candlelight vigil in front of Cheonggye Plaza at Gwanghwamun.

The Bethel Gospel Missionary Welfare Foundation was a front that KPF exploited to receive indirect funding from the FKI. Choo has explained that the Korea Parent Federation registered this as a foundation “since only an incorporated organization is able to receive funding from the Federation of Korean Industries.”

Evidence is also emerging that the KPF has used other organizations in addition to the Bethel Gospel Missionary Welfare Foundation. In recognition of the difficulty of receiving funding directly from other organizations because of its political activity, KPF registered a separate volunteer organization called “Sharing Hope” with the Ministry of the Interior and received a grant of 11 million won (US$9,570) from Seoul Metropolitan Government in 2010, when Oh Se-hoon was mayor, ostensibly for providing free school lunches.

The following year, KPF was dropped from this grant program, which Choo explained in a recent interview. “In 2011, I was contacted by the city of Seoul asking if I was the president of Sharing Hope and asking me to sign up for the school lunch grants. But they stopped calling after I said that I was with the Korea Parent Federation,” Choo said.

In addition, a defector organization called Vision Korea - whose director, an individual surnamed Kim, is reportedly a close associate of Choo‘s - applied for a grant from the Ministry of the Interior as part of a program for public interest activities by non-profit non-governmental organizations and received 35 million won in funding. But after allegations were raised about pro-government demonstrations, the organization abandoned the grant, citing “internal reasons.”

Vision Korea is located on the same floor as Korea Parent Federation.

Vision Korea also participated in a “sharing event” for elderly defectors on the Lunar New Year in Feb. 2015 as a sponsor, along with the Korea District Heating Corporation, which is a public corporation.

Also noteworthy is the fact that an organization whose president is Park Chan-seong, a current advisor and former KPF president, has held events with the KPF.

In 2014 and 2015, the Civic Movement Center for Love, of which Park is the president, organized “events for sharing love and hope for the Lunar New Year” along with the KPF. The Civic Movement Center for Love was selected by the Ministry of the Interior to be part of a program called “the great march for loving our neighbors,” which gives grants to non-profit non-governmental organizations doing work in the public interest. As part of this program, the Civic Movement Center for Love received 64 million won in 2014 and 40 million won in 2015, and this year it is supposed to receive 40 million won once again. While the organization has had few activities since 2010, until recently companies continued to sponsor the “sharing events” it holds around the holidays.

A list of non-profit non-governmental organizations that are currently registered with the Ministry of the Interior includes no fewer than three organizations that list Park as their president, fueling suspicions that Park’s organizations are also serving as indirect funding channels for the KPF. Park claims that the only organization for which he is currently the president is the National Council Against Nuclear Weapons and the Kim Dynasty.

“We weren‘t hosting events with the Korea Parent Federation; we were just sponsoring and supporting them. It’s been several years since I left the Korea Parent Federation. There’s no financial support or any other connection,” said Park in an interview with the Hankyoreh on Monday.

By Lee Seung-joon and Ko Han-sol, staff reporters

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]