A formal request for an investigation has been filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regarding the alleged mismanagement of the board of directors of the Korea American National Museum.
The IRS has been investigating the board of directors of the museum for alleged mismanagement, including frequent design changes and suspicions of misusing donated funds.
According to the Citizens’ Committee to build the Korean American National Museum on July 25, it filed a complaint for an investigation with the IRS to resolve suspicions related to the operation of the nonprofit organization. The group also discussed legal charges against the board of directors at a public meeting in June for allegedly operating behind closed doors.
The committee pointed out in their request for an investigation, saying “The organization founded in 1991 to build the museum has been under scrutiny for its management of more than $10 million in funds, and the community has been flooded with concerns. The design costs, labor costs, and other expenses incurred so far have not been thoroughly verified.”
At the same time, the request for an investigation also states that the museum has received donations of more than 6,000 works of art, historical records, documents, and treasures, but has remained tight-lipped about what and where they are stored. The committee emphasized that the IRS should protect the donors and their trustees by conducting a thorough investigation of the museum and its board members.
“We have held two community hearings on the museum, but there has been no response from the museum’s board of directors, chairman, or other responsible individuals,” said Christopher Lee, chairman of the committee. ”One of our biggest concerns is that the donors are elderly and do not have much time. The museum is supposed to play an important role in shaping the identity of the second and third generations, but the shameful behavior of the first generation continues.”
The board members named in the IRS request are Jaemin Chang, chairman of The Korea Times and current chairman of the board of the Korean American National Museum, as well as board members Kay Song, Hyung Ja Lee, John Lim, Michelle Moon, Byung Chan Ahn, Erina Kwon, and David Ryu. “We have not yet heard from the IRS, so it’s hard to say where we stand,” Irene Hong, program director of the museum, told the Korea Daily in a phone interview on August 14.
The IRS accepts complaints of suspected tax evasion or misconduct in the operations of nonprofit organizations through Form 13909, a formal request for investigation. The IRS can investigate the allegations and, if necessary, open a full-scale audit.
BY BRIAN CHOI, HOONSIK WOO [choi.inseong@koreadaily.com]
<Correction>
The article headlined “IRS complaint filed against Korean American National Museum for alleged mismanagement,” published on August 15, reported that the museum’s board of directors fired Shinae Yoon as secretary general in April and appointed Hong as program director. However, Yoon has informed us that she resigned, not was fired, and we issue this correction.
