[English Translations for Global Clients - Success Case]

1. Case Overview

The client (plaintiff, wife) had enjoyed a long and stable marriage until she began noticing her husband’s suspicious behavior and eventually discovered his infidelity.

Her husband had met the defendant (the adulterous partner) through a KakaoTalk open chat room, and the two maintained a continuous sexual and emotional relationship, frequently traveling between Seoul and Daejeon to meet and exchange explicit sexual messages.

As a result, the client completely lost trust in her husband and suffered from insomnia, severe headaches, and emotional distress, ultimately deciding to seek a divorce.

She engaged Taelim Law Firm to file a damages claim against the third party (the adulterous partner), who was primarily responsible for the breakdown of the marriage.

2. Taelim’s Assistance

Attorneys at Taelim Law Firm focused on proving that the defendant knowingly engaged in an adulterous relationship despite being fully aware that the man was married.

They presented evidence of the explicit sexual messages and repeated meetings, establishing that the defendant’s conduct was the direct and primary cause of the marital breakdown, constituting a tort under the Korean Civil Act.

Taelim also emphasized the severity of the client’s emotional trauma, including lasting psychological suffering and loss of dignity, arguing that the defendant must bear significant compensatory liability for such harm.

3. Case Outcome

The court accepted Taelim’s arguments, ruling that the defendant, despite knowing the man was married, continued the adulterous relationship, thereby seriously violating the marital relationship and ultimately causing its collapse.

Recognizing the plaintiff’s profound mental and emotional suffering, the court ordered the defendant to pay KRW 30,000,000 in damages for emotional distress.

4. Significance of the Judgment

This case reaffirms that a third party (adulterous partner) who knowingly continues a relationship with a married individual can be held civilly liable for damages under Korean law.

The court did not treat the affair as a casual or isolated incident but rather as a sustained and explicit pattern of misconduct, including repeated sexual encounters and lewd communications.

By awarding a substantial amount of compensation, the court underscored the serious legal consequences of violating marital trust and highlighted that such acts constitute a grave infringement on the sanctity of marriage.

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If you’re facing a similar situation,

don’t hesitate to reach out to Taelim Law Firm for legal assistance.