“Endured for 30 years on 400,000 won a month” ... Husband owns multiple homes and commercial properties [What do you think?]

[Financial News] A woman who raised two children on about 400,000 won a month in living expenses from her husband said she worked at factories and supermarkets, among other places, and even cared for her mother-in-law to make up for the shortfall. After shouldering housework, childcare and the family’s livelihood for 30 years of marriage, she decided to divorce.
The financial picture she uncovered while preparing for divorce was starkly different. The only assets in the woman’s name were a few million won left in her bank account, while her husband owned multiple homes and commercial properties. She wondered whether she could receive a share of the marital assets despite having almost no property in her own name.
The story of Ms. A, who decided to divorce after 30 years of marriage following her husband’s verbal abuse and physical violence, was featured on YTN Radio’s “Attorney Cho In-seop’s Counseling Center,” which aired on the 7th.
Ms. A’s marriage came about at the urging of her parents and neighborhood elders. Told that she was of marriageable age, she went on a matchmaking date and married, but her husband gave her just 400,000 won a month for living expenses. “Even now, I sometimes resent the elderly woman in the neighborhood who introduced me to my husband,” she said.
Ms. A had to work herself to make up for the shortfall in living expenses. “It was difficult to raise the children on that money, so I went to work at a factory at night and also worked at supermarkets, restaurants and nursing homes,” she said. “It was well over 20 years into the marriage before the monthly living expenses rose to 800,000 won.”
Caring for the family was also Ms. A’s responsibility. She cared for her mother-in-law for about seven years after she suffered a stroke, but her husband repeatedly verbally abused and assaulted Ms. A and their children, according to her account. She was once struck on the head by a pot her husband threw and bled.
After enduring continued verbal abuse and physical violence, Ms. A left home with the children. Worried that her husband would find them, she did not register their new address, and they lived separately from him for the next six years.
After deciding to divorce and reviewing the assets, Ms. A discovered that her husband owned multiple homes and commercial properties. Some properties had already been transferred into other people’s names or disposed of. By contrast, the only assets she had left were a few million won in her bank account.
Ms. A said it was distressing that she had almost no assets despite taking responsibility for housework and childcare and caring for her mother-in-law throughout the long marriage. “I kept house and raised the children for 30 years, and even cared for my sick mother-in-law, but I have no assets at all. It feels unfair,” she said. “I’d like to know whether I can receive a share of the marital assets even though almost none are in my name, and whether there’s a way to proceed with a divorce suit without revealing my address to my husband.”
Regarding the living expenses paid by the husband, attorney Kim Su-jin said, “The husband’s payment of significantly insufficient living expenses constitutes a breach of his duty to support his family.”
She added that paying too little toward living expenses alone is not enough for a divorce to be granted. Attorney Kim said, “For a divorce petition based solely on insufficient living expenses to be granted, it must be proven that the amount was significantly inadequate given the husband’s financial means, that this continued for a long time, and that the marital relationship had broken down irretrievably.” She added, “If verbal abuse and physical violence are also alleged, the likelihood of the divorce petition being granted increases.”
She said that in dividing marital assets, what matters is not only whose name the real estate and other property is registered under, but also how much each person contributed to acquiring and maintaining the assets during the marriage. The explanation was that someone like Ms. A, who took full responsibility for housework and childcare and helped preserve and increase her husband’s assets, could also receive a share.
She added that Ms. A’s work outside the home to make up for the shortfall in living expenses could also be taken into account in dividing the assets. Attorney Kim said, “She did not just do housework; she earned the living expenses her husband did not provide and covered the shortfall herself, which can be recognized as a direct contribution to the formation of assets.” She continued, “Taking into account the roughly 30-year marriage, her work in the home, childcare and care for her in-laws as a full-time homemaker, and her supplementation of living expenses through her own income-generating work, Ms. A’s contribution could be assessed as quite substantial. In practice, a contribution of around 50% is often recognized in long marriages.”
She said that assets the husband transferred into a third party’s name could also be included in the division, depending on who actually owns them. If the arrangement constitutes nominee ownership, it can still be disputed during the property division process even if the assets are registered under someone else’s name.
Attorney Kim explained, “If the husband gives or transfers assets to a third party to evade property division following a divorce, a claim to set aside the fraudulent transfer and restore the assets can be filed to preserve the right to seek property division. In that case, it can be brought together with the divorce suit in family court.”
[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter