[All] “The Master was an ATM”… Kim Byung-man, the Jungle of Divorce

July 30, 2019. Mr. S received a text message. The sender was Kookmin Bank. The message said, ‘The public certificate has been changed.’ (Ms. S is Kim Byung-man’s ex-wife.)

"Mr. S managed Kim Byung-man's financial assets. She had a public certificate and OTP card. She also received (financial) notification texts. That's how she knew that the public certificate had been reissued." (Kim Byung-man's side)

As Kim Byung-man took action, his ex-wife S also became anxious. S went straight to SC First Bank. She forged a bank transfer request form and transferred 487.51 million won from Kim Byung-man’s bank account to her own account.

Mr. S also accessed the remaining bank accounts. (Kim Byung-man) started transferring money before finding another bank. He withdrew 186.5 million won from Shinhan Bank, Industrial Bank of Korea, and Kakao Bank.

On August 2, 2019, Kim Byung-man visited another bank. However, it was too late. The money was already gone. According to Dispatch, the amount transferred from Kim Byung-man’s account to Mr. S’s account was 674.02 million won.

In just one day, nearly 700 million won was transferred without (Kim Byung-man's) permission. And the shocking story that Kim Byung-man heard at the bank window. At that very moment, Mr. S was going around the ATM and withdrawing money.

"The teller told me, 'Your account is currently being withdrawn.' During the divorce proceedings, Mr. S went around looking for ATMs and withdrew 3 million won at a time, totaling nearly 100 million won." (Attorney Im Sa-ra, legal representative Kim Byung-man)

'Dispatch' has found out the details of Kim Byung-man and S's divorce. We have confirmed the background of Kim Byung-man's decision to divorce and the court's decision through the complaint and verdict. Did it start with love? The conclusion is, it was money, money, money.

◆ The man's first marriage, the woman's third marriage

In 2009, Kim Byung-man was at the height of his popularity with 'Master' (Gag Concert). Mr. S was a true fan. He was active in Kim Byung-man's fan cafe and expressed his affection through several fan letters.

Kim Byung-man didn't dislike Mr. S's attention either. Coincidentally, the two were neighbors. They became close through exchanging letters and replies. Then Mr. S made a suggestion. "Would you like me to introduce you to a good woman?"

The two met offline for the first time through a 'blind date'. However, there was no one at the meeting place. Only Mr. S was there. Kim Byung-man asked, "When is the woman you are going on a blind date with coming?"

At that time, Mr. S's answer captivated Kim Byung-man. "He tried to introduce me to Mr. Byung-man." Kim Byung-man burst out laughing. The door to his heart opened, and the two developed a romantic relationship.

S is 7 years older than Kim Byung-man. She was married twice and failed. She also had an elementary school daughter. Nevertheless, Kim Byung-man accepted her as his wife. They registered their marriage on January 5, 2010.

However, they did not hold a wedding ceremony. Kim Byung-man is married for the first time, but S is married for the third time. It was a kind of consideration. In addition, S's daughter was registered in the family register. By adopting her as a biological child, she was given the same status as her biological son.

◆ Marriage soon became hell

The love didn't last long. According to Kim Byung-man's side, it was caused by S's obsession. Kim Byung-man's side said, "She was busy with her schedule. When she couldn't contact me, she would call the staff and interfere."

Kim Byung-man wrote in the divorce petition, "My job is to make people laugh, and I fought with S every day. Every day was like hell." He added that they had effectively separated after only a year of marriage.

The official separation is believed to have taken place in December 2014. Kim Byung-man's side said, "There has been little contact since 2016. He conveyed his intentions through his manager. Mr. S also only contacted him when talking about money."

There was also a big conflict over asset management. After getting married, Kim Byung-man left all of his asset management to Mr. S. The show he mainly worked on was the 'Law of the Jungle' series. He spent more time in remote areas overseas.

Mr. S managed all of Kim Byung-man's seal, bankbook, public certificate, OTP card, etc. In addition, Mr. S is known to have withdrawn about 10 million won in cash every month under the pretext of living expenses, etc.

"Mr. S withdrew cash every month, saying he used it for living expenses. However, management fees, card fees, taxes, etc. were withdrawn from (Kim Byung-man's) account. I have no idea where the cash was spent." (Kim Byung-man's side)

◆ Who moved the money?

On July 30, 2019, Kim Byung-man decided to regain economic control. He then informed Mr. S, “I will manage the accounts in my name.” He actually visited Kookmin Bank and received a reissued OTP card, etc.

That day, Mr. S was also busy. (Kim Byung-man) He went to the bank with his actual bankbook and seal. The amount of money Mr. S withdrew from four banks, including SC First Bank, Shinhan Bank, and Industrial Bank of Korea, was 674,027,245 won.

'Dispatch' has confirmed Kim Byung-man's income certificate (2011-2020). He has earned 12.562 billion won over the past 10 years. Of that, he paid 4.4985 billion won in taxes.

However, the total net worth of this couple (including the appraised value of real estate + expected insurance cancellation refund) that was revealed during the divorce process was 4.9605 billion won. In other words, they spent more than 3 billion won over the past 10 years.

Kim Byung-man's side revealed, "Ms. S refused to divorce and did not return her financial rights," and "there are dozens of accounts, including Kim Byung-man's bankbook, credit card, and Mr. S's personal bankbook and credit card, so we cannot even ascertain the details."

For example, let's look at Mr. S's deposit balance changes. On August 1, 2019, Mr. S had 2,081,100,000 won in his account. However, 1 year and 5 months later (January 14, 2021), Mr. S's account balance was 1,109,550,000 won.

"Around August 2020, Mr. S issued 4 checks for 95 million won. He also wrote 1 check for 50 million won and 3 checks for 1 million won. We do not know where the cash went." (Kim Byung-man's side)

◆ Property Division, the War Has Begun

On August 3, 2020, Kim Byung-man filed a divorce and property division lawsuit against Mr. S. He also filed a lawsuit seeking damages for the 674.02 million won in unauthorized transfers by Mr. S.

Mr. S's side submitted a response three months later. He said, "(Kim Byung-man's claims) contain many false facts. I feel sorry and upset because there are many misunderstandings about the management of assets," and expressed his intention not to divorce.

"I truly love Kim Byung-man and do not want a divorce. I want to resolve the issue amicably through dialogue and restore our marital relationship, so please dismiss all claims in this case." (2020.11.9, Mr. S's response)

Then, Mr. S had a change of heart. In April 2021, he filed a counterclaim. He also claimed 100 million won in compensation. He suddenly claimed Kim Byung-man’s habitual assault and blamed Kim Byung-man for the divorce.

On December 1, 2022, the 5th Division of the Seoul Family Court delivered the first trial verdict. The court stated, "The couple's marital relationship has already lost affection and trust. It has broken down to the point where it cannot be restored."

The property division ratio is 75% (Kim Byung-man): 25% (Mr. S). The court ruled to transfer ownership of 1/2 of the real estate to Kim Byung-man, change the name of the insurance policyholder to Kim Byung-man, and return close to 1 billion won.

Mr. S appealed. However, his argument was not accepted even in the appeal trial (May 25, 2023). Mr. S appealed again. The Supreme Court dismissed it, and the divorce was finalized on September 7, 2023.

◆ Counterattack, but not in Korea

The court's decision was summarized.

"The two did not resolve the conflict through dialogue, communication, or compromise. They did not make any effort to understand the other person's situation and position and improve their relationship. Both of them are responsible for the breakdown of their marriage, and the degree of responsibility is judged to be equal."

"Ms. S claimed that she had been habitually assaulted since the beginning of her marriage and requested compensation. However, the evidence submitted by Ms. S alone is insufficient to acknowledge that Kim Byung-man assaulted her. We do not accept Ms. S's claim." (Judgment)

But Mr. S didn’t stop there. Last February, he sued Kim Byung-man for assault, battery, and rape resulting in death. He stated that he was beaten about 30 times between March 2010 and June 2019.

Mr. S even went so far as to appear for an interview. He told the press, "I am so angry and resentful. I was beaten habitually." He continued, "My daughter saw me being beaten four times. The assault was so brutal."

The police did not accept Mr. S's claim. It makes sense, because on the day Mr. S claimed he was assaulted, Kim Byung-man was overseas. On the day he claimed rape, he was also filming overseas.

"The police gave a non-indictment opinion on the assault charge. In fact, there was no basis for concluding the charge. Mr. S compared the specific date with Kim Byung-man's immigration records, but there was no match." (Attorney)

◆ What about our father, Kim Byung-man?

Mr. S presented his daughter as a witness to the assault. He claimed, “My daughter witnessed the assault four times.” However, the ‘fact confirmation report’ submitted by his daughter to the family court tells a different story.

"My father was short, so he was always proud of me for being tall. He always made me laugh and tell jokes, and tried to give me whatever I wanted. My mother and I would argue, saying, 'You can't give me everything.'"

He praised Kim Byung-man as a 'thankful person'.

"Whenever I called my mom, the first thing she would say was always, "How's OO?" Even when I called from overseas, she would ask, "Have you grown taller?" When she got home, she would first call my name loudly and then immediately measure my height."

"I'm a fan of an idol, and whenever there was a concert, I would contact the president of that idol's agency and ask for the best seat. He even assigned me a manager and took me by taxi."

"He really did his best for me. He raised me so well and gave me so much love and grace for a long time. Father Kim Byung-man is a truly grateful person." (Fact Check, March 28, 2022)

◆ Until it's over, it won't end

Kim Byung-man has only one wish. He wants to cut off the connection with Mr. S. He had no choice but to file an adoption suit. (As a result, Kim Byung-man lost the case. Mr. S's daughter did not want the adoption.)

Mr. S brought up a strange calculation method in relation to the issue of his daughter's adoption. He proposed a settlement that said, "I will sign the adoption consent form on the condition that Kim Byung-man does not receive a division of assets."

Kim Byung-man's side refused. Attorney Im Sa-ra explained, "Based on the first trial ruling, it was a demand to give up about 1.8 billion won (1 billion won in division of assets + 670 million won in unauthorized withdrawals + 200 million won in real estate)."

The divorce suit between Kim Byung-man and Mr. S has ended. The two are legally separate. However, there are still many entanglements. Above all, the insurance policy (that Mr. S secretly signed up for) must also be transferred.

"Kim Byung-man filed lawsuits against three insurance companies for insurance cancellation payments, collections, and name changes. If Mr. S had simply cooperated, there would have been no reason to file these lawsuits in the first place." (Attorney)

The love is over, but the war is not over. I have to get back 500 million won in property division money. I also have to go through the process of disowning my adopted daughter. The prosecution's judgment on habitual assault is also pending.