Husband hid W1b in shares and bonds while splitting bills — now wants a divorce

A woman who discovered her husband had secretly accumulated 1 billion won ($672,000) in shares and bonds over their 10-year marriage — while keeping household expenses to a minimum — says she was left stunned when he turned around and asked for a divorce.

The story aired Thursday on YTN Radio's "Attorney Jo In-seop's Consultation," told by a working mother identified only as A, who has been married for 10 years and is raising a 6-year-old daughter.

"My husband is a bank employee, and perhaps because he works with money, he was stingy with household expenses from the very start of our marriage," A said. "I used my own salary to cover our child's upbringing and all the small household costs."

Her husband had insisted they manage all their assets separately, telling her that "a skilled investor never mixes accounts."

A recently learned that her husband had been hiding significant assets. His father had gifted him shares, which he sold to raise 700 million won in cash. He then invested that money in shares and overseas bonds without telling her, growing the total to 1 billion won.

The conflict erupted when A confronted him. "How could you do this to me after not giving me a decent penny for household expenses in 10 years?" she demanded. He shot back: "That money came from my father. It's my separate property — you have no claim to it."

"Not only did he not apologize, he treated me like a greedy person," A said. "What made it even more outrageous was that he left the house without a word, taking our 6-year-old daughter with him."

A filed an emergency child-return application with the court and got her daughter back. Her husband then demanded a divorce, saying: "Let's split up. I won't give you a single won. Instead, we'll raise the child in alternating weekly custody. If you refuse, I'll use every financial resource I have to take full custody."

A said she also wants a divorce, and asked whether she could claim a share of the investment gains and whether she could seek consolation damages from her husband for the breach of trust.

Attorney Lim Gyeong-mi said that while gifted assets are in principle excluded from property division — as they are not acquired through joint effort during the marriage — division may still be possible in this case. "It has been three years since the gift was received, and if the person asking managed the household, raised the child, and worked while her husband invested, thereby preventing the loss of assets or contributing to their growth, the assets can become subject to division," Lim said, adding that the length of the marriage and the degree of contribution would determine the share.

On the husband's concealment of assets, Lim said: "The husband deliberately hid a large sum of money, breaking the trust of the marriage, and his unilateral departure from the home without any effort to resolve the problem is a clear ground for divorce — a violation of the marital duties of cohabitation, support and cooperation."

Lim advised that if A pursues divorce litigation, she should immediately apply to the court for an asset inquiry at the same time she files suit, since the husband could close or hide his share accounts. "Before that, she should apply for a provisional attachment on the husband's share accounts and real estate to prevent him from disposing of them," Lim said.

On the husband's threat to use his financial resources to win custody, Lim said financial power is not the decisive standard for custody. "Courts place the child's welfare first and foremost. What matters most is who has been the primary caregiver, the continuity of that care, and the depth of the emotional bond between the child and each parent," she said. She added that the husband's financial strength is not grounds to strip custody from the mother — rather, it is a basis for securing higher child support payments.

On the possibility of joint custody, Lim said it is legally available but requires conditions that do not appear to exist here. "For joint custody to be recognized, there must be no severe conflict between the parents, and a close framework of cooperation and trust regarding child-rearing must be in place," she said. "If trust has completely broken down and the emotional rift is deep, a court is likely to find that joint custody would actually harm the child's emotional stability and welfare, and reject it."