Jo Sung-min faces opposition from a citizens’ campaign
Jo Sung-min is a baseball player and sports commentator, but he’s probably most famous for being ex-husband to the deceased Choi Jin-shil, who is now causing a stir as he attracts the ire of the Korean public for the continuing battle to claim custody of his kids.
Many have thrown their support behind Choi’s brother and mother, who are fighting to retain custody of the two children who were reportedly not even aware of their father’s existence. In fact, there’s even an online café that’s sprung up of people opposed to Jo’s taking custody of the children, and the members are organizing a candlelight vigil early next week to express their opposition. This event will take place in conjunction with a women’s organization as part of a “citizens’ campaign.” The exact details of the time and place have not yet been made public.
As of November 7, there were more than 5,720 netizens who signed their opposition, stating their displeasure with a law that would revert the children of a single parent to the ex-spouse upon the death of the caregiving parent. They accuse Jo of abusing this law to take the kids (and, presumably, Choi’s remaining estate), arguing that Jo gave up his parental rights upon his divorce, and the members plan to look deeper into Jo’s intention of adopting his children. (Question: If one must legally adopt one’s own children — Choi had won the right to register her children under her family name — doesn’t that mean that the children aren’t automatically in their father’s legal custody? *legal confusion abounds*)
The facts of the case paint Jo as a deadbeat dad who gave up all responsibility (if not legal rights) for caring for his kids four years ago. There’s also the part where he beat his ex-wife. On the other hand, he IS the children’s biological father and I’m sure there is more to any story than what the public knows.
But in any case, I’m a little in awe of the fact that citizens would take up the issue to advocate on behalf of a beloved deceased actress.
Via Sports Seoul
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Tags: Choi Jin-shil, Jo Sung-min, lawsuits
i agree…he shouldn’t have custody of the children..
It’s pretty cool, that people just decided to do somethong about it. Hopefully, everything works out well and the kids go to Choi’s brother.
it’s awesome how people are supporting the Choi family, hopefully this can help their fight for justice. the ex was abusive, left his family, & gave up his rights legally. does anyone see money signs in his eyes?
I have a friend committed suicide this summer leaving behind his wife and two children. The whole family is devastated. And no life insurance to be claimed.
Most of our mutual friends and myself did not go to his funeral because we felt he was too irresponsible. If only he thought about his family, he would have stopped doing such a horrible thing.
Same to Choi, she should have thought about her children before taking her life.
We don’t just leave for ourselves; we live to keep our loved ones happy too.
I wonder why he wanted the kids. Maybe it relates to the estates that the kids are going to inherit.
koreans are so stupid.
they get too nosy into other people’s businesses.
Even if Cho is a deadbeat father, he is THEIR father and has the right to care about their well-being.
I’m not saying that he deserves to get custody of them or Choi’s estate, but i dont understand why Choi’s brother and mother weren’t clear about what would happen to Choi’s estate when that was all Cho asked information on.
Technically, since Choi was irresponsible and committed suicide, lawfully, the children would go to the father, no matter how much of a bastard he is.
He had already said that he would give up the kids to the brother and mother, he just wanted to know if the estate would be kept safely until his kids turn legal.
EITHER WAY, the korean public shouldn’t get into it.
it’s ridiculous. Leave the freaking family alone.
their protesting isnt going to do anything.
I find this really interesting. Does anyone know if there is any precedent for law (especially family law) in Korea being amended because of a specific famous figure’s circumstances (and the public’s agitating around it)?
I’m kind of bothered by the comments here. Choi Ji-shil’s suicide may have had devastating consequences for their families, but clearly something in her mind had gone very wrong. How dare we accuse people of not considering all the consequences of their actions when they may not have had the mental faculties to do so?
In any case, I would usually support a father’s rights, but Jo Sung-min apparently abused Choi Jin-shil and put her in the hospital. As far as I’m concerned, once you become abusive toward any member of your family, you give up the rights to be a part of your children’s lives.
And to add to Bonnie’s question, are there precedents (or caveats written into the law) which allow the children to be adopted by someone other than the remaining parent?
i guess you could say that in these circumstances netizen activity and involvement is a positive thing.. but i still think it’s both scary, and wrong.
choi jinyoung and family should get the children! no doubt.
“But in any case, I’m a little in awe of the fact that citizens would take up the issue to advocate on behalf of a beloved deceased actress.”
True spoken words, javabeans.
@byul1232
thats sort of racist.
@byul1232
Please think before you speak/type/opine. I couldn’t even bother reading your comment after your first sentence. Don’t stereotype an entire ethnicity through your ignorance.
I’m getting confused over this since what the Korean Law states about it, and though I’m happy that some citizens are doing something about it, I felt that the court should only decide about the case, too bad that the kids didn’t even know Jo Sung-min is their father…I hope this will work out sooner so that Choi Jin-shil will finally get the peace that she wanted
hang the bastard.. (i thought her hubby was Japanese.. but whatever)…
nevertheless, i hope the court will see the reasons of this as ex-hubby as money grabbing ass**** and will give the children to the the brother and mother-in-law…
I feel sorry for the kids.
They will inevitably hear how horrible their father was to their mother and be forever scarred. No amount of money will erase that.
I hope they will grow up being loved and cared for because I’m sure that’s what their mother would want for them.
We can’t choose our parents, but we can choose how to live our lives.
And I don’t think he deserves a cent of Choi’s estate since he was an uncaring husband and father.
im happy the people are standing against this.. im just seeing this another case gone wrong.. i heard the the new wife of jo sung min wants him to really persue this.. and i think this is terrible.. he doesnt recognize the kids.. enough to give up his rights.. then now wants them so he can get the estate and such.. from the stuff i heard so far.. thats a sad law.. even if the dad should but he allowed them onto the choi family tree already.. which is a huge deal.. and after that whole thing about the funeral incident.. where he didnt want the choi family to touch the money/estate money to use for the funeral.. that was just wow…
i hope the court rethinks this and the fact that i think if he wasnt a good father before even if they can be his he would end up ignoring them.. so many things could go wrong with that.. i just think when those kids grow up and find out.. wow.. what a shock for them..
so sad, i know choi jin shil wouldve wanted the uncle who loves them shows them love to care for them… awww..
May Choi’s bro and mother get the children’s custody! No way are they going to be happy with a father who doesnt love his own wife and kids.
@ marz
yeah that’s a biggie right there, that he won’t even allow her savings to be used for her own funeral! it just contradicts what he claims is his true intention. how can he care for “his” kids, but not his ex-wife – mother of his children!! this is just a final slap in the face for the deceased.
Didnt he push choi down the stairs while she was pregnant?? He doesn’t care about the kids. I’m glad people are supporting choi’s family.
It should be all about the welfare for the children. I’m always lean toward the children should be with their mom or dad but this case I rather see them with the grand parents or uncle.
Yes, Jo Sung-Min IS the biological father but was he there for them in the past years? If the children do not know about his existent, that speaks volume about the kind of father JSM is. He can continues to be the “father” he is, but for sake of the kids, please leave the care to those who can do it better!!
all he wants is the money, cause what i read before this post is that when he get the kids he’s gonna ship them to the states