WASHINGTON, D.C. — Korean-American civic leader and President of the U.S. Washington Korean Association, Pastor James Daniel Shinn, some South Koreans, and Korean-Americans are calling for urgent international scrutiny regarding allegations that South Korean president Lee Jae-myung was involved in a covert $8 million cash transfer to North Korea.
At a press conference in Washington, Pastor Shinn declared the case “not merely a political matter, but a serious violation of international sanctions and a threat to global security.”
“If an individual to lead one of America’s closest democratic allies is credibly linked to funding a rogue regime like North Korea, this warrants immediate attention at the highest levels,” said Pastor Shinn. “This issue must be reviewed by OFAC, the U.S. National Security Council, and the U.N. 1718 Committee.”
According to documents submitted to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the United Nations Sanctions Committee, the alleged transfer was funneled through corporate intermediaries between 2019 and 2020 and may have violated multiple provisions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
Pastor James Shin delivers a complaint against Lee Jae-myung to the office of Rep. Young Kim (California, co-chair of the Korean Caucus) / Photo by Pastor James Shin
Pastor Shinn warned that any such funds reaching Pyongyang could be used to support North Korea’s weapons programs or suppress its population, directly undermining international efforts to maintain peace and human rights on the Korean Peninsula.
Lee Jae-myung was on trial for secretly sending $8 million to North Korea in violation of UN sanctions while serving as governor of Gyeonggi Province. The suspects involved in this case were already convicted by the Supreme Court.
However, in June 2025, amidst controversy over election fraud, he was elected president, and the trial was subsequently suspended. The opposition party and the majority of the public in South Korea continue to strongly demand that the president remain on trial.
A full report has been submitted to OFAC, the U.N. 1718 Sanctions.
Pastor Shinn has stated that the act, if verified, would “jeopardize the integrity of international sanctions and damage South Korea’s global credibility.”
Lee Jae-myung was on trial for secretly sending $8 million to North Korea in violation of UN sanctions while serving as governor of Gyeonggi Province. The suspects involved in this case were already convicted by the Supreme Court.
Call for U.S. and International Action
Pastor Shinn is urging members of the Korea Caucus in Congress and the House Foreign Affairs Committee to initiate briefings and hearings on foreign political violations of U.S. sanctions law. Civic groups are also requesting that the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) formally assess the national security implications of the case, given Lee’s status as a South Korea’s highest office.
North Korea’s Potemkin capital, Pyongyang, showcases privilege for the few who obey Kim Jong Un. But millions of rural citizens and children in North Korea still languish in misery—some even executed for watching foreign films. Hunger and oppression continue to drive desperate defections.
North Korea’s Potemkin capital, Pyongyang, showcases privilege for the few who obey Kim Jong Un. However, millions of rural citizens and children still languish in misery—some even executed for watching foreign films. Hunger and oppression continue to drive desperate defections.
Seoul’s Sunshine Policy, advanced under former President Kim Dae-jung, funneled billions into the North, only to bankroll Kim’s rule and nuclear ambitions. The result is a regime now on the brink of fielding ICBMs and SLBMs capable of striking the U.S. homeland.
At Vladimir Putin’s direction, Kim Jung-un has sent over 10,000 youths as mercenaries to Ukraine—a chilling echo of the Mongol invasions that last brought Asian fighters to European battlefields in the 13th century.
For decades, the Kim dynasty has committed crimes against humanity. The free world must act. The United Nations and the U.S. Treasury should exert maximum pressure on the Lee Jae-myung administration and hold Pyongyang’s enablers to account.
※ This article was translated into English with the assistance of Google translation. If you find any errors, please contact the Freedom Chosun editorial team at clr9321@gmail.com