Conflict over ex-wife obsession... separated since December 2014
Suddenly claimed assault after refusing divorce
Ex-wife's daughter: "Kim Byung-man did his best for me... a grateful father"
Broadcaster Kim Byung-man is in conflict with his ex-wife, and entertainment media Dispatch reported on the divorce process between the two. Yonhap News
Broadcaster Kim Byung-man divorced his ex-wife Ms. A, amid claims that Ms. A managed Kim Byung-man's assets even after their separation and embezzled more than 600 million KRW.
On the 18th, entertainment media Dispatch reported on Kim Byung-man's divorce process based on Ms. A's bank transfer records and the couple's divorce lawsuit rulings. Kim Byung-man's side stated, "He was busy with many schedules, and when he was unreachable, Ms. A would call the staff to interfere," revealing conflicts caused by his ex-wife's obsession. They added, "Since 2016, there was almost no contact, and communication was made through his manager," explaining, "Ms. A only contacted him when discussing money matters." The couple's official separation is estimated to have occurred in December 2014.
He also experienced internal strife with his ex-wife over asset management. After marriage, Kim Byung-man entrusted Ms. A with full control of their assets, and Ms. A withdrew about 10 million KRW in cash monthly under the pretext of living expenses. However, management fees, card payments, and taxes were withdrawn from Kim Byung-man's account, leaving the use of the cash completely unknown. Eventually, he sought to regain financial control by visiting the bank to reissue OTP cards. In response, Ms. A visited four banks and actively withdrew a total of approximately 670 million KRW.
According to income certificates, Kim Byung-man earned about 12.5 billion KRW over ten years, paying roughly 4.4 billion KRW in taxes. However, the couple's net assets revealed during the divorce process (including real estate appraised value and expected insurance surrender refunds) amounted to 4.9605 billion KRW, indicating they spent over 3 billion KRW in ten years. Kim Byung-man's side lamented, "Ms. A refused to divorce and did not return financial control," adding, "There are dozens of bank accounts and credit cards, making it impossible to track the details."
In August 2020, he filed a divorce and property division lawsuit against Ms. A. At that time, Ms. A's side submitted a response stating, "She sincerely loves her husband and does not want a divorce," but in April 2021, she filed a counterclaim demanding 100 million KRW in alimony. She also alleged habitual assault by Kim Byung-man, blaming him for the divorce. In December 2022, the first trial ruled the property division ratio as 75% (Kim Byung-man) to 25% (Ms. A), transferring half of the real estate ownership to Kim Byung-man, changing the insurance policyholder's name to Kim Byung-man, and ordering the return of about 1 billion KRW. Ms. A appealed, but it was rejected, and the divorce was finalized in September 2023. However, in February, Ms. A filed charges against Kim Byung-man for injury, assault, and attempted rape, making baseless claims. Meanwhile, Ms. A's biological daughter, whom Kim Byung-man adopted during their marriage, reportedly stated in a fact verification document, "Father Kim Byung-man truly did his best for me" and described him as "a truly grateful person."
Earlier, on the 13th, Kim Byung-man's legal representative appeared on a YouTube channel and said, "Ms. A secretly took out about 20 life insurance policies in Kim Byung-man's name without his knowledge." He explained, "Although the names differ, the structure is such that if the insured dies, the insurance money goes to the beneficiary or heir, making it no different from life insurance. Kim Byung-man only learned of this during the divorce lawsuit."
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