[Exclusive]"Meetings with the child, talk to a lawyer.." Go Ji-yong's conflict with ex-wife Heo Yang-im over visitation rights surfaces [Comprehensive Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A dispute over visitation rights between Go Ji-yong, formerly of the group Sechs Kies, and his ex-wife Heo Yang-im, a specialist in family medicine, has escalated into a legal battle. Following their divorce, Go Ji-yong initiated legal action against Heo Yang-im, citing difficulties in maintaining regular contact with their 12-year-old son, Seung-jae.

In a phone interview with StarNews on the 16th, Go Ji-yong stated, "The last time I saw my son was this year's Children's Day." According to his agency, Mountain Movement Store, Go filed an emergency injunction application at Seoul Family Court on that day, seeking to prevent Heo Yang-im from obstructing visitation rights and from posting photos or videos of their child.

He claims he has not been able to see his son for about four months due to insufficient protection of his visitation rights by Heo's side. Regarding the reasons for filing the lawsuit, Go emphasized, "The biggest issue is that I cannot see my son."

Go Ji-yong married Heo Yang-im in 2013 and welcomed their son Seung-jae the following year. The family gained widespread affection after appearing on KBS 2TV's parenting variety show "The Return of Superman." However, Go and Heo finalized a consensual divorce in April 2024. It is understood that custody was awarded to Heo Yang-im.

For minor children of divorced couples, visitation schedules and methods can be determined through mutual agreement between the parties or by court ruling. According to legal experts, it is common for the non-custodial ex-spouse to be granted visitation rights allowing them to meet their child approximately twice a month.

However, Go Ji-yong alleges that Heo Yang-im's side has been obstructing visitation arrangements. He claims that after Heo's side requested communication through legal representatives during scheduling discussions, contact with his son became difficult.

Go stated, "If my ex-wife (the other party) appoints a lawyer and insists I speak only to them, how am I supposed to set a date? The meeting schedule should be arranged with the mother, but since the child attends school and extracurricular activities, and I also have work commitments, our schedules simply don't align." He added, "I never said I would discuss visitation rights through a lawyer. We need to coordinate times for me to meet my child, yet there is no channel for communication."

According to Go's side, Heo Yang-im filed an emergency injunction application and a petition for visitation rights adjudication on the 5th, alleging that Go failed to pay child support properly and refused visitation. In response, Go took countermeasures, citing increased difficulty in communicating with his son after Heo appointed a legal representative.

Regarding Heo's demand to communicate only through her legal representative, he remarked, "If the channel is removed, isn't that itself a refusal? What reason would I have to refuse? I always miss my child."

Go also commented on the number of times he has met his son since the divorce. Previously stating that they had met only about six times in the two and a half years following their separation, he explained, "Briefly meeting my son in front of his academy doesn't count toward visitation rights. If we count strictly, it wouldn't even reach ten." He noted that there have been few formal meetings where schedules were set to spend time together.

He also expressed frustration over the situation of negotiating with Heo's legal representative regarding visitation issues. "We exchanged registered letters back and forth," he said. "It doesn't make sense that I must discuss meeting my son through a legal representative."

The two sides also appear to have conflicting claims regarding child support. Go's side asserts that they regularly pay child support and have sent two registered letters requesting installment payments for any unpaid amounts.

In response, Heo Yang-im has continued her YouTube activities without issuing a separate statement. On this day, she shared daily life moments with her son via her YouTube channel "Kkokkeu Deo Heo Yang-im." On the 12th, she also posted on Instagram showing herself celebrating her son's birthday at a hospital.

Conversely, Go Ji-yong has taken legal action against Heo Yang-im, demanding that she refrain from posting photos and videos of their child on social media platforms. In this regard, Go previously stated through his agency, "I could no longer tolerate her attitude of withholding the child from me, ignoring warnings about violating the Child Protection Act, and exploiting our son for hospital promotion."

At that time, Go also addressed issues regarding child support and his health condition. He revealed, "On May 9th after the divorce, I was rushed to the hospital in a critical state (severe dehydration, liver dysfunction, shock, etc.), facing death itself. Even during our marriage, my illness worsened, but we reached amicable agreements. For about two years, I was hospitalized multiple times, fighting for life and death alone. Yet, when they forced child support payments, froze my accounts and insurance through injunction applications, and sent registered letters specifying diligent compliance, there was no response."

He further added, "I can no longer tolerate the refusal of communication and the initiation of lawsuits against someone striving to recover their health and return to society as a working individual."

Meanwhile, regarding his recent health condition, Go Ji-yong stated, "I am receiving treatment and have recovered significantly."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original