“Let’s pay it off with the money you’ve saved” ... Boyfriend reveals 40 million won in debt after the families’ formal meeting [What do you think?]

[Financial News] A story about a prospective groom who, after greeting both sets of parents and starting serious wedding preparations, belatedly confessed to having tens of millions of won in debt and suggested paying it off together using his prospective bride’s savings has sparked outrage online.
On the 22nd, a post titled “Boyfriend only comes clean about debt once marriage comes up” was published on an anonymous online community for office workers.
The poster, identified as A, had been in a serious relationship with a boyfriend for more than two years. They had started making concrete plans to marry early this year and had recently formally greeted both sets of parents. However, on the afternoon of the 20th, while wedding preparations were in full swing, the boyfriend suddenly disclosed that he had 40 million won in debt. The debts included installments on an expensive car and an overdraft loan resulting from past losses in stock investments.
When A pressed him about why he had kept this secret until then, the boyfriend explained, “I was afraid you’d leave me if you found out I was in debt.”
What further fueled the conflict was the boyfriend’s attitude toward the debt. To A, who worked in sales and had diligently saved for the wedding, he said something to the effect of, “You have savings put aside, so couldn’t we pay it off together after we get married and settle it quickly?” In other words, he tried to repay debt he had incurred using his prospective bride’s assets.
A also said that the cost of dates had been a source of distress throughout the relationship. Whenever the boyfriend said he was short on money for his credit card bill or otherwise expressed reluctance, A covered all the dating and travel expenses. The boyfriend repeatedly promised, “I’ll definitely pay next time,” but never followed through, A said.
A said, “I’m more hurt by the betrayal of his having carefully hidden it for more than two years than by the amount of the debt itself,” and added, “I couldn’t bring myself to tell my mother, who is especially fond of my boyfriend. I’m seriously wondering whether I should call off the wedding and end the relationship.”
When the story became public, it drew a wave of sharp criticism online. The criticism focused particularly on his deception in hiding the debt and his attempt to cover it with his partner’s money.
Most netizens urged A to call off the wedding, saying, “It’s the mindset of trying to saddle a spouse with debt caused by one’s own failed investments and overspending,” “Deceiving your partner from the very start of married life, where trust is everything, is a fatal disqualifier,” and “Coming clean about debt before marriage and suggesting it be repaid with someone else’s money are entirely different matters.” Some netizens, however, said, “It may be fortunate that he opened up about his financial situation at least while they were making concrete plans to marry,” and “A careful decision should be made after considering a concrete repayment plan and his sincerity.”
Experts say that failing to transparently share one’s financial situation, including assets and debts, before marriage is a major cause of legal disputes or marital breakdown. In fact, if someone intentionally conceals debt and then marries, this may constitute grounds for annulment under the Civil Act or grounds for judicial divorce. Clear financial disclosure and the building of trust before marriage are therefore essential.

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