Family court nullifies woman`s marriage to deceptive husband

The Seoul Family Court on Sunday nullified the marriage of a woman whose husband lied about his background to get her to marry him.

“The man married the woman by lying about important facts,” the court`s ruling said, adding, “The marriage between the two shall be nullified.”

Her former husband, 33, was also ordered to pay her 117 million won (108,000 U.S. dollars) in compensation, including 50 million won (46,000 dollars) in alimony and property losses. He also had to hand over to her all of the assets in their home, including furniture and home appliances.

The woman, 35, met the man in a movie club in May 2010 and the two began dating several months later. She introduced him to her parents as the man she would marry in January last year.

The woman had no suspicions over his economic situation because he had told her that he graduated from a prestigious private university in Seoul with an economics degree and worked at a trading company. He also said he lived with his parents in Seoul`s Bangbae-dong neighborhood, an upscale area, and owned an apartment unit that he rented out in the city`s Shillim-dong neighborhood.

The two got hitched in October last year and registered as a married couple. Then they moved into an apartment in the Gaepo-dong neighborhood of Seoul`s posh Gangnam district.

Their married life took a drastic turn for the worse in January after the man abruptly cut off all communication with his wife, saying, “I`m going on a business trip to Japan.” His wife found his passport at home, however, and grew suspicious. After confirming that he had never left the country, she reported him to police as missing.

Several days later, she was shocked to hear from the man’s elder brother that her husband had been arrested on the charge of insurance fraud, and that he needed 30 million won (28,000 dollars) to make bail.

The woman also learned that her husband had lied to her about his background, including his alma mater, employer and the amount of security deposit of the home they lived in. The day he told her that he was going to Japan was the day he was arrested. In the end, she sought to legally nullify her marriage.

jks@donga.com