[Sportschosun Kim Jun-seok] A woman identified as A, the former daughter-in-law of singer Hong Seo-beom and his wife Jo Gap-kyung, who has been fighting a damages lawsuit against their son over the breakup of their common-law marriage, posted a pointed message after the appeals court ruling and hinted at further revelations.
On the 26th, A shared a lengthy post on her social media and said, "I really do not know whether a law exists to protect victims." She revealed how she currently feels.
She said, "Even if I receive compensation, I may end up having to pay more when settling the money I handed over as an investment." She added, "The child support remains unchanged, so in the end, I, the victim, am left bearing even more losses."
She went on to argue, "People who appear on health programs, attend school, and prepare for the teacher certification exam are living their lives as if nothing happened." She added, "If adultery had still been a crime, at least this kind of injustice would have been less severe."
In particular, A suggested that more disclosures could follow, saying she still has materials she has not yet revealed.
She said, "I still have evidence I have not made public," and claimed that "the other woman even threatened me through a friend's father."
She also took a hard line, saying, "Even if I pass the teacher certification exam, I plan to inform the Office of Education about what happened." She added, "It is hard to accept that someone who committed such an act at a school with students would stand in front of a classroom."
Earlier, Civil Division 1 (Family Affairs) of the Daejeon Family Court ruled partly in favor of A on the 25th in the appeals trial of her damages suit against B, the son of Hong Seo-beom and Jo Gap-kyung, over the breakup of their common-law marriage.
The lawsuit began after A claimed that B, with whom she had been in a common-law marriage, had an affair with a female teacher who was a co-worker early in her pregnancy, leading to the collapse of their relationship.
The trial court recognized B's responsibility and ordered him to pay 30 million won in damages and 800,000 won a month in child support.
A appealed, saying the compensation was insufficient, but the appeals court also upheld the ruling that partially favored the plaintiff.
During the trial, A also raised the issue of parental responsibility, arguing that Hong Seo-beom and Jo Gap-kyung did not take active steps even though they knew about their son's affair and the child support issue.
In response, Hong Seo-beom and Jo Gap-kyung issued an official statement saying, "We did not intervene in the divorce process out of respect for our adult son's privacy, but as parents, we feel responsible for failing to properly address our child's wrongdoing."
They added, "We will make sure the child support and damages ordered by the court are carried out."
However, A pushed back on that apology as well, saying, "The people who should receive an apology are not the public, but me, my child, and my family." She added, "It is hard to see this as a sincere apology," and the conflict continues.
narusi@sportschosun.com
