Actress Breaks Down In Panic After Learning Late Father Left Behind Massive Debt

On the June 14 broadcast of SBS’s My Little Old Boy, actress Kang Ye Won opened up about the painful aftermath of her father’s passing. The actress’s father passed away on April 30, and the episode showed her trying to sort through the financial situation he left behind.

During the broadcast, Kang Ye Won met with a legal representative and confirmed that her father had left behind approximately ₩1.10 billion KRW (about $725,000 USD) in debt.

She became overwhelmed as she shared, “I found out after he passed away that there was debt.”

It all came at once, so I’m just… Honestly, he raised me so well, so as his daughter, of course, it’s something I should do. But I really don’t know. This is so hard, and I don’t even understand what any of it means. What am I supposed to do if I don’t have money right now?

— Kang Ye Won

Her legal representative explained that in cases where inherited debt exceeds inherited assets, there is a legal system called “limited acceptance.” This allows heirs to repay the deceased person’s debts only from the assets they inherited.

The lawyer explained, “For example, if you inherit ₩1.00 billion KRW (about $659,000 USD) but the debt is ₩2.00 billion KRW (about $1.32 million USD), you do not have to repay anything beyond that ₩1.00 billion KRW (about $659,000 USD).” He then advised that Kang Ye Won’s mother apply for limited acceptance and use assets, such as selling an apartment, to settle the debt. He also recommended that Kang Ye Won and her younger sibling renounce their inheritance.

Hearing this, Kang Ye Won became emotional over the thought of losing the family home. She said, “It’s the home where our family of four lived for over 30 years, since I was in high school. We only have that one home, and to think of selling it… It hurts so much.”

The lawyer also explained that some debts may have been connected to her father’s business. He clarified that debts held under the company or corporation’s name are not related to inheritance, meaning Kang Ye Won would not be legally responsible for repaying them. However, Kang Ye Won said she still felt a moral responsibility toward the employees who had worked with her father for years.

I went to meet the vice president and an employee who worked with my father for 17 years. We drank makgeolli together, had tea together, and spent time together. My heart just goes out to them. They were people who stayed by my dad’s side for so long, so they feel more like family than I do…

Even if I don’t have a legal responsibility, I want to do as much as I can for the money they weren’t paid. The funny thing is, I was the only one talking about money. The employees were actually telling me to stop talking about it, and they were only worried about my dad. That’s the kind of people they are. And so I’m incredibly sorry this happened.

— Kang Ye Won

Kang Ye Won was later shown meeting with her father’s longtime employees and giving them part of the overdue wages.

Read more about the actress here:

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