Genius violinist Yujin Park (50) has accused her aunt of embezzlement.
According to the legal community on the 8th, the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office's Major Crimes Investigation Division (Chief Oh In-seong) summoned Yujin Park's aunt, Ms. A, for questioning in mid-last month.
Yujin Park's side reported that Ms. A managed a total of 5.6 billion won worth of assets, including real estate and deposits in Yujin Park's name, without her consent, and that she used about 2.8 billion won of that amount, leading to the embezzlement accusation filed with the prosecution last month.
In relation to this, the prosecution reportedly prohibited Ms. A from leaving the country after questioning her once, but lifted the travel ban when she appointed a lawyer and expressed her intention to appear.
Korean-American Yujin Park began playing the violin at the age of 3 and was admitted early to Juilliard School at 16, making her a genius musician. She gained attention for her electronic violin performances that crossed genres, including classical, pop, and jazz.
However, in the 2000s, she suffered from severe depression and bipolar disorder, and revelations that some industry insiders exploited her weakened mental state for profit shocked many.
Ms. A, who lives in the United States, filed a petition in June 2016 with the Seoul Family Court to designate herself and Yujin Park's aunt, Ms. B, as guardians.
The adult guardianship system is a system that helps individuals who lack the ability to handle normal affairs, such as dementia patients or those with developmental disabilities, through a guardian who assists with legal actions and daily life.
The court accepted the petition in June 2017 and decided to initiate adult guardianship, but instead of appointing Ms. A or Ms. B as guardians, the Hanul Mental Health Welfare Foundation was appointed. Ms. A withdrew her petition just six days after the decision was made, resulting in the failure to designate a guardian.
After it became known that Yujin Park had been defrauded by her manager, Ms. A applied again for guardianship. Consequently, in December 2019, a friend of Yujin Park's deceased mother was appointed as her personal guardian, and the C Welfare Foundation was appointed as her legal representative guardian.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
