Court Rules Against Kim Byung-man's Claims in Adoption Annulment Case

The court has dismissed claims made by Kim Byung-man regarding the annulment of his adopted daughter, stating that the decision was not based on 'false accusations leading to immoral acts' as suggested by Kim's side. Instead, the court's decision was based on the difficulty of maintaining a harmonious father-daughter relationship and the fact that the adopted daughter is now an adult.

According to TenAsia's investigation on the 11th, Judge Jung Yong-shin of the Seoul Family Court outlined various reasons for the annulment in the ruling. One of the reasons cited by Judge Jung was that "the adopted daughter has not met Kim Byung-man since seeing his face in 2019 (or 2017), making it difficult to find any intimacy in their parent-child relationship."

Furthermore, the judge noted that "the adopted daughter appeared as a witness in a case where her biological mother accused Kim Byung-man of habitual assault, and as a result, she was also criminally charged with false accusations by Kim Byung-man." The judge highlighted the distressing position the daughter was in, having to endure criticism from either side for years.

Judge Jung added, "Kim Byung-man and his ex-wife have long treated the adoptive relationship as a matter of negotiation, showing little interest in maintaining a genuine parent-child relationship. The numerous divorce and criminal cases, along with the annulment trial, have made it difficult to preserve any positive memories."

Other reasons for the annulment included the fact that the adopted daughter is now 25 years old and no longer a minor, and if her statements to investigative agencies about Kim Byung-man's ex-wife's assault are true, it could constitute abuse towards the adopted daughter.

Previously, on the 8th, Judge Jung ruled in favor of Kim Byung-man's request to annul the adoption of his daughter. In response, Kim Byung-man's agency, Sky Turtle, claimed to the media that the court recognized 'immoral acts due to false accusations' related to past assault charges, but such content was not included in the ruling.

Reported by Kim Se-ah, TenAsia haesmik@tenasia.co.kr