[Sportschosun Reporter Park A-ram] A damages lawsuit over the breakdown of a de facto marriage between singer Hong Seo-beom and Jo Gap-kyung’s son and his former daughter-in-law, identified as A, will now be reviewed by the Supreme Court of Korea for a final ruling.
Both the first and second trials had found Hong Seo-beom and Jo Gap-kyung’s son liable. However, A filed an appeal after disputing the appellate court’s ruling, sending the legal battle to the Supreme Court of Korea.
According to Star News on the 12th, A submitted an appeal on the 9th, challenging the appellate ruling in the damages suit stemming from the breakdown of the de facto marriage.
The two met through a mutual acquaintance in 2021 and began dating. They married in February last year. However, tensions began about a month after the wedding, when A’s pregnancy became known and it was revealed that her husband, B, had been involved in an inappropriate relationship with a co-worker. The de facto marriage eventually collapsed after B left home.
A filed a damages lawsuit in September last year, and the trial court ruled that B was responsible for the breakdown of the marriage. The court ordered him to pay 30 million won in damages and 800,000 won per month in child support.
A was dissatisfied with the ruling and appealed, but the Daejeon Family Court also upheld a partial victory for her on the 25th of last month, issuing a decision similar to the original ruling.
After the ruling, A voiced strong frustration on her social networking service. She said, "I don’t know whether there is a law for victims," and added, "Even if I receive damages, I still have to return money labeled as an investment, and nothing has changed in terms of child support."
She also targeted B and the other woman, saying, "It feels unfair that they can appear on broadcasts and continue their school life as if nothing happened," and argued, "If the adultery law were still in place, they would at least have been punished." She then hinted at revealing additional evidence and suggested further disclosures. More recently, she also posted, "Pay the child support."
As the controversy spread, Hong Seo-beom and Jo Gap-kyung issued an official apology. They said that while reviewing the court ruling and related materials themselves, they found discrepancies between what they had previously been told and the actual facts. They added that they felt deeply responsible for failing to properly examine their son’s situation.
They also said, through their son’s legal representative, that they would work to ensure the court-recognized obligations, including damages and child support, are carried out promptly.
However, A argued that the apology lacked sincerity. She said, "The apology should be directed not at the public, but at me, my child, and my family," and claimed it was "nothing more than a perfunctory apology." She also urged people to keep paying attention so the case would not be forgotten.
With the two sides still far apart, the final outcome of the case is expected to be decided by the Supreme Court of Korea.
tokkig@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
