By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

A 30-year-old man who took his ex-girlfriend to court to get back money he spent while dating her has lost his lawsuit.

The woman, a 27-year-old Im, dumped the man, identified only as Park, in March last year. He begged her to see him again but she refused.

A month later, Park took Im to a motel in Seoul and demanded she give him back 10 million won ($10,000) which he had spent while dating her if she would not see him again. Park made her sign a written promise to pay the money by May 7 that year.

He also forced her to promise that she would give up her body if she did not pay the money ― a promise that private moneylenders usually force borrowers to make, threatening to sell kidneys or other organs if the borrower fails to pay back the money.

After the deadline, Park filed the suit with the written promise. A lower court ruled in favor of Park, as Im, without a lawyer, acknowledged her signature without testifying to the coercive atmosphere.

She later learned that a written promise made under coercion is invalid, and appealed. The high court reversed the lower court ruling, saying she was coerced into signing the written promise.

rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr