Father of golf star Kim Mi-hyun sent to prosecutors over illegal subletting at driving range

The head of the company that operates a large golf driving range associated with professional golfer Kim Mi-hyun, once known as "Super Peanut," has been referred to prosecutors on charges of illegally subletting part of the facility.

The Incheon Nonhyeon Police Station said Thursday it had recently sent Kim Mi-hyun's father — identified only by his surname Kim — to prosecutors on charges of violating the Public Property Act. He serves as the representative of the company operating Kim Mi-hyun Golf World.

Kim's father is accused of subletting portions of the driving range to other businesses without prior approval from Namdong-gu. The subletting is believed to have covered a screen golf facility on the first below-ground floor, a restaurant on the first floor and a golf equipment shop on the second floor.

Kim Mi-hyun Golf World is a driving range built on a park site in Nonhyeon-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, with a land area of 27,069 square meters and a total floor area of 4,284 square meters.

Kim Mi-hyun's side developed the driving range on the park site in 2009 and donated it to Namdong-gu, securing operating rights for 25 years — from 2009 to 2034 — through a trust agreement.

In March this year, Namdong-gu discovered that the company had been subletting the facility without prior approval in violation of the trust agreement's terms and issued a corrective order demanding compliance.

When no action had been taken by Aug. 6, Namdong-gu filed a complaint against the operating company with the Nonhyeon Police Station. The district office believes the illegal subletting has been ongoing since the trust agreement was signed in 2009.

"We confirmed the illegal subletting and referred the case to prosecutors," a police official said. "We did not conduct a separate investigation into Kim Mi-hyun herself."

Meanwhile, Kim Mi-hyun made her debut on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour in 1996 before joining the LPGA Tour in 1999, where she won Rookie of the Year. She went on to win eight titles on the LPGA Tour, establishing herself as one of the top players of her era.