Kim Byung-man legally severs ties with ex-wife’s daughter in first trial ruling

▲ This photo of South Korean entertainer Kim Byung-man is provided by TV broadcaster SBS. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Yonhap) -- Entertainer Kim Byung-man has legally ended his parental relationship with his former wife’s daughter, identified as A.

Kim’s agency said on Friday that the Seoul Family Court ruled in favor of Kim’s petition to annul the adoption, terminating the legal adoptive parent–child relationship between him and A. The reason for the court’s decision was not disclosed.

Under current civil law, the requirements for annulling an adoption are strictly defined. Mutual agreement between parties is not recognized, and only annulments granted through a court ruling are allowed. Grounds for annulment are limited to two cases: when adoptive parents abuse or abandon the adopted child or otherwise significantly harm the child’s welfare, and when the adopted child engages in acts of severe misconduct toward the adoptive parents, making it impossible to maintain the relationship.

Kim registered his marriage to a non-celebrity woman, identified as B, in 2011 and adopted her daughter A as his own.

However, the couple lived apart for more than a decade before announcing their divorce in 2023.

Kim is scheduled to marry another non-celebrity woman, identified as C, later this month. He has two children with her.

“After his marriage with B broke down, Kim had children with C,” the agency official said.

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