"I Married a Businessman I Met on a Plane"... He Had a Former Wife and a Child—Can the Marriage Be Annulled? [This Law]

[Financial News] A woman is reportedly considering seeking an annulment after discovering that her husband had concealed both two previous divorces and the existence of a child before their marriage.

The woman, identified as Ms. A, sought advice on November 11 through YTN Radio's 'Attorney Jo In-seop's Counseling Center,' saying she wanted to completely end a marriage tainted by her husband's lies and deception.
Ms. A met her current husband on a flight to San Francisco, where she was traveling for vacation. He said he was going to the United States to visit his parents and introduced himself as a businessman. The two continued seeing each other after returning home.
They grew close quickly during their six-month relationship and soon married, but their happiness did not last long.
When Ms. A confronted her husband after becoming suspicious of his nightly secret phone calls, one previously unknown fact after another came to light.
Before meeting Ms. A, her husband had already been married and divorced, and he had a child with his former wife. The educational background, parents' place of residence, and family background he had described were also lies.
Ms. A was pregnant at the time and was deeply shocked, but she decided to remain in the marriage for the sake of her unborn child.

However, the conflict continued. When their child was about five years old, her husband left the home, abandoning Ms. A and the child. He initially sent living expenses, but stopped doing so when the child reached the upper grades of elementary school.
Ms. A raised the child while supporting the household alone. During this period, the home they lived in was even put up for auction because of her husband's debts.
She also learned another fact: her husband had not been divorced once, but twice.
Ms. A said, "If I had known this before we got married, I probably would not have married him," adding, "Now I want to completely end this marriage, which has been tainted by lies and deception."
She asked for advice, saying, "I want to know whether I can still seek an annulment because my husband concealed his previous marriage and child before we married, whether I can receive damages for the emotional distress I have suffered, and whether I can claim the unpaid living expenses and support payments from the period after my husband left the home."

After hearing the story, attorney Kim Mi-ru explained, "The husband's concealment of his previous marriage history, whether he had children, and details such as his education and family background could constitute grounds for annulment." She added, "Whether a person has been married before or has a history of childbirth is an important factor that can significantly influence the decision to marry."
However, she said, "An annulment cannot be sought once three months have passed from the date the fraud was discovered. Therefore, as in this case, it would be difficult to seek an annulment when more than 15 years have passed since the facts were learned."
Attorney Kim said, "If the husband stopped providing living expenses for a long time after leaving the home and also failed to see the child, she may still seek a divorce and damages."
Regarding child support, she added, "The Grand Bench recently expressly held that the statute of limitations begins to run after the child reaches adulthood. Therefore, past child support that was not previously received can be claimed as long as the claim is filed within 10 years after the child became an adult."

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