Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
Actor Lee Jung-jae in legal dispute over mother's debt
Lee Jung-jae /Korea Times file
By Bahk Eun-ji
By Bahk Eun-ji
Actor Lee Jung-jae and his mother are embroiled in a legal dispute over money she allegedly borrowed from a friend.
Lee’s mother allegedly borrowed 193 million won ($165,000) from 1995 to early 2000 from her friend, whose name was withheld.
The friend asked Lee’s mother to repay 249 million won, including interest, in August 2000, but his mother had left for Los Angeles.
Lee repaid 60 million won soon after he received a call from the woman, and Lee’s mother gave a written promise to repay the rest.
The woman sued Lee’s mother for fraud in April 2005, and Lee appeared at the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office and asked her to drop the case because he would repay the money on behalf of his mother.
Lee’s mother sent 1 million won then, but Lee and his mother had allegedly neither repaid the rest of the money, nor contacted the woman after that.
She requested the prosecution for a payment order against Lee in April, and the trial is in progress.
Lee released a statement Tuesday, saying he and his mother had repaid all the money and the case was closed in September 2000. The woman then promised not to file civil and criminal suits, he said.
Lee also said he is not responsible for his mother’s debt and has never taken over her debt.