Actress Kim Sumi and Son Sued for Embezzlement Over 'Company Fund Withdrawal'

Actor Kim Sumi and her son Jung Myungho have been sued by the food company Napalkkot F&B on charges including embezzlement in the course of business. Napalkkot F&B is a food distribution company that processes and sells kimchi, marinated crab, and other products using Kim Sumi's portrait rights. Jung served as the CEO of this company but was dismissed by the board of directors in November 2023 and currently holds the position of an inside director.

[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 22nd, Yonhap News and others reported that the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul recently received a complaint from the food company Napalkkot F&B accusing Kim and her son Jung of embezzlement in the course of business. In the complaint, Napalkkot F&B claimed that Kim and director Jung sold the trademark rights of the 'Kim Sumi' brand, which they had an exclusive contract for 10 years, to others without permission.

Napalkkot F&B stated in the complaint that the two "illegally sold the 'Kim Sumi' brand about 10 times between 2019 and 2020 to companies operated by Jung, such as Napalkkot CNM and Napalkkot Media, gaining approximately 565 million KRW in profits and business shares."

They also alleged that "while Jung was serving as CEO of Napalkkot F&B, he was responsible for the company's fund transactions and embezzled about 623 million KRW." This includes charges of accounting and paying unauthorized amounts (about 169 million KRW) under names like 'Teacher's House Kimchi' and 'Teacher's House Organic Tableware Set,' as well as withdrawing money without permission after accounting it as 'Jung Myungho advance payments' (about 101.98 million KRW).

Furthermore, Napalkkot F&B claimed that when Kim lacked funds to pay her personal taxes, Jung embezzled 300 million KRW by arbitrarily withdrawing it from the company's bank account.

Jung has been an inside director since Napalkkot F&B was established in 2018. He was appointed CEO in March 2021 but was dismissed by the board in November last year and currently holds the title of director. It is reported that conflicts between Kim Sumi and her son and the company deepened thereafter.

Regarding this, Jung told The Fact, "It is true that there have been internal conflicts within the company since last year, but the claim that the company has sued me and my mother is groundless," adding, "The company has suffered difficulties due to the serious mistakes of the current CEO who sued me, and I have already filed two complaints against the other party for embezzlement, fraud, and forgery of private documents." He also denied, saying, "I never granted exclusive exclusive usage rights."