[Reporter Jeong Bit, Sportschosun] The son of singers Hong Seo-beom and Jo Gap-kyung has lost again in an appeal over damages filed by his former wife, with whom he had been in a de facto marriage.
According to a report by Star News on the 26th and legal sources, the Family Affairs Division 1 of the Daejeon Family Court upheld the lower court ruling in the appeal trial of a damages suit filed by former wife A against B, the son of Hong Seo-beom and Jo Gap-kyung, over the breakdown of their de facto marriage. The court issued a partial ruling in A's favor.
A filed the lawsuit in September 2024, claiming that the de facto marriage broke down because of B's affair. She alleged that B became involved in an inappropriate relationship with a fellow teacher just one month after she became pregnant.
The trial court found B liable and ordered him to pay A 30 million won in alimony and 800,000 won a month in child support. A later appealed, reportedly citing unpaid child support and the inaction of her in-laws.
The appellate panel held three hearings in total. It closed arguments on the 21st and upheld the original ruling in its decision on the 25th.
In October last year, Hong Seo-beom and Jo Gap-kyung said, "We did not intervene in the divorce process because we believed we should respect our adult son's privacy and autonomy, but in the end, we fell short as parents by failing to closely examine our child's faults. We sincerely reflect on our failure to set an example as public figures."
They added, "We will strictly guide him so that his obligations under the first-instance ruling can be carried out as soon as possible. We fully respect the other party's decision regarding the birth and upbringing of our granddaughter, and we will stay by his side so that he can fulfill his responsibilities as a father to the very end."
However, A had previously demanded that he apologize directly to the victim rather than issuing an apology to the public.
Hong Seo-beom and Jo Gap-kyung married in 1994 and have one son and two daughters. They have shared glimpses of their family life through family entertainment programs.
Reporter Jeong Bit rightlight@sportschosun.com
