Bereaved Family Files Lawsuit Requesting Annulment of Marriage
Court Rules "Not a Consensual Marital Relationship"
The marriage between Lee Eun-hae (33), who was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court for the "valley murder" case, and the victim Yoon Mo (39 at the time of death) has been declared null and void after 9 years.
According to Yoon's bereaved family on the 20th, Judge Jeon Kyung-wook of the Family Division 3 at Incheon Family Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff yesterday in the annulment of marriage lawsuit filed by Yoon's family against Lee.
Previously, Yoon's family filed a lawsuit requesting the marriage between the two be declared null and void, arguing that Lee had no intention of actually living as a married couple and married Yoon solely for financial gain.
Accordingly, the court found that Lee had no genuine intention to maintain a marital relationship and that economically, Lee exploited Yoon unilaterally. Even if the marriage was legally registered, if there was no intention to live as a married couple in substance, it means there was no mutual agreement on marriage between the parties. Article 815 of the Civil Act stipulates that "if there is no mutual agreement on marriage between the parties," it can be grounds for nullity.
In fact, Lee and Yoon registered their marriage in March 2017 but did not hold any family meetings or wedding ceremonies, and it is known that they never lived together even once. Lee herself referred to the marriage with Yoon as a "fake marriage" and lived with other men throughout the marriage period. It was even found that the men she lived with were unaware that Lee had registered a marriage with Yoon.
Lee was indicted on charges of conspiring with her lover Jo Hyun-soo (33) to induce Yoon to jump into the valley at Yongso Valley, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, on June 30, 2019, for the purpose of collecting life insurance money, resulting in Yoon's death.
Both the first and second trials and the Supreme Court did not recognize the direct murder charge based on psychological control (gaslighting), but found Lee guilty of failing to take appropriate rescue measures, thereby allowing Yoon to die, as well as attempted murder charges for previously trying to kill Yoon using pufferfish poison. Lee and Jo were each sentenced to life imprisonment and 30 years in prison, respectively, by the Supreme Court in September last year.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
