Personal Life
In 1994, her former manager Bae Byeong-su, who was an influential figure in the entertainment field, was murdered by her road manager. She was called in as a witness. The incident shocked the Korean public.
In 2000, her marriage to Cho Sung-min received widespread attention in South Korea. Cho was a professional baseball player with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan. They first met on a television show in 1998. Choi gave birth to a son Hwan-hee (2001) and a daughter Joon-hee (2003).
In November 2002, Cho physically attacked Choi, who was then pregnant with their second child. In August 2004, Cho again assaulted her. In September 2004, Choi divorced him.
Choi took the parental rights and child custody over the children on condition of exempting Cho's debt to her mother and brother as well as dropping several charges against Cho. Cho could only visit his children regularly according to the mutual agreement.
In January 2008, the South Korean family register (hoju) was changed. As a result, children could use their maternal family name when the family members wanted it. According to the changed register, her children changed their surname from "Cho" (paternal family name) to "Choi" (maternal family name).
After Choi's death, her mother managed the inheritance and took custody of the children.
Read more about this topic: Choi Jin-sil
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