Chey Tae-won’s Side: “Roh So-young’s Lawyer Knew It Was 2 Billion Won but Inflated It to 100 Billion Won... Appeals Non-Prosecution Decision”

[Financial News] Chey Tae-won’s side has appealed to a higher prosecutors’ office against the prosecution’s decision not to indict Lee Sang-won, attorney for Art Center Nabi Director Roh So-young, over allegations of spreading false information.
In an official statement on the 15th, Chey’s legal representatives said the claim that Chairwoman Kim Hee-young had spent 100 billion won was false information that distorted and inflated the objective facts by more than 50 times. They said they were requesting a formal reconsideration, arguing that the prosecution had effectively given the accused a pass by declining to indict them over the defamation complaint filed by Chey’s side.
In November 2023, immediately after a hearing in Roh’s lawsuit seeking damages against Kim Hee-young, chairwoman of the T&C Foundation, Roh’s side told reporters, "The amount Chair Chey spent on Chairwoman Kim exceeds 100 billion won based solely on expenses that can be calculated."
Chey’s side filed a criminal complaint against the attorney, alleging that he had violated the principle of closed proceedings under the Domestic Litigation Act and damaged Chey’s reputation by spreading malicious false information. However, after investigating the case, prosecutors decided not to indict, citing insufficient evidence and saying it was difficult to conclude that the attorney had clearly known the figure was false when making the statement.
Chey’s side immediately pushed back. His legal team noted, "The prosecution’s decision not to indict merely means that there was insufficient proof of the speaker’s subjective awareness; it absolutely does not acknowledge the truth of the figure that was circulated."
Chey’s side also directly disputed the 100 billion won claim. It explained that a review of financial transaction records showed that the actual living expenses incurred by Chey and Kim amounted to only about 2 billion won, as detailed to the court.
The 20.4 billion won included in the 100 billion won figure came from a KB Kookmin Bank account opened while Chey was previously incarcerated. Chey’s side claimed that the account had been opened for Roh and that Roh and her three children used a substantial portion of the money, yet the expenses were calculated as spending related to Kim.
Legal donations and contributions made for public-interest purposes to various beneficiaries, including the Children’s Foundation, the Community Chest of Korea and the T&C Foundation, were also added up as private gifts to a specific individual. Chey’s side claimed that the 100 billion won figure was created by including assets solely owned by Chey, such as a residence and works of art.
Chey’s side criticized Roh’s camp, saying, "Roh’s side is making mutually incompatible and unreasonable claims: in court, it demands that these assets be divided as marital property, while in the media, it claims that they were assets gifted to Chairwoman Kim."
Chey’s side emphasized, "The attorney knew all the objective facts, including the results of the financial analysis, while handling the property division lawsuit," adding, "He intentionally inflated the figure 50-fold to improperly influence the trial." It also pointed out that he had repeatedly appeared on broadcasts and given media interviews outside the courtroom, violating the confidentiality obligations under the Domestic Litigation Act and disclosing personal financial information without authorization.
Chey’s legal representative urged a thorough reinvestigation by the higher prosecutors’ office, saying, "We will correct the situation in which the prosecution’s decision not to indict is being recirculated in public opinion as if it guaranteed the truth of the false claim."
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