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Actor Lee Jung-jae in legal dispute over mother’s debt

November 17, 2015

Lee Jung-jae (Yonhap)

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 (about $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 ($213,000), including interest, in August 2000, but his mother had left for Los Angeles.

Lee repaid 60 million won ($51,000) 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 (less than $1,000) 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.