Cho Sung-hwan, former head of Joyworks, the Korea distributor for running shoe brand HOKA, apologized again, saying "the assault itself was clearly wrong," over an assault that occurred late last year, but argued the incident was orchestrated by collusion between insiders and outside forces to strip HOKA's exclusive distribution rights in Korea.
On the 10th, Cho held a news conference at Koreana Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, and said, "Over the past eight months there have been far too many things I simply could not understand, so I checked and checked again," adding, "The essence of this case is a media play carried out by a small number of internal accomplices and outside forces colluding to take away the Korea distribution rights exclusively held by Joyworks."
The incident occurred on Dec. 16 last year in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, when Cho assaulted two people affiliated with rival company Caveworks. It became known through an MBC report in January this year, and the controversy spread as a so-called "power-based assault," as the victims were introduced at the time as employees of a Joyworks subcontractor. Cho later acknowledged using physical force and stepped down as head, and Deckers Brands in the United States, which owns HOKA, notified Joyworks that it was terminating their Korea distribution contract.
However, after mediation by the Press Arbitration Commission, some reports were corrected to the effect that the victims were not a Joyworks subcontractor at the time of the incident but a rival company. Joyworks and Deckers Brands are currently undergoing international arbitration over the contract termination for Korea distribution.
Cho also argued that initial reports that Caveworks was a Joyworks subcontractor were not true. "Our relationship with Caveworks was not that of a prime contractor and subcontractor," he said. "They exploited company information to secretly set up a competing firm and then induced the assault with a specific purpose." He added that, before the incident, he had heard that the victims had made insulting remarks about him and his family, and claimed that, through a mutual acquaintance, the reason he requested a meeting had been conveyed to the other side in advance.
Also attending the news conference was Son Najayong, founder of Pullar, who said Son had once been in a business partnership with the assault victims. Son disclosed messages from a group chat of six people, including Son and the two victims, and argued that before the incident the victims anticipated the possibility of an assault and in fact induced it.
"Up until just before the assault, the victims repeatedly said, 'Just take a few hits and end it,'" Son said, adding, "The previous media interviews claiming 'we thought we were going to get work' are not true." Son added, "Right after the incident, I also heard at the hospital from a victim, 'I was hit more than I expected.'"
Son argued, "The essence of this case is that when it became likely that the fact that former Joyworks employees and those at Caveworks had siphoned off company work would be exposed, they slandered Cho and his family to provoke a clash, then amplified the incident to shake Joyworks."
Cho also raised issues about the competition over HOKA's Korea distribution rights. "Since 2023–2024, as a K-running boom has taken off in Korea, multiple major distributors have belatedly staked everything on entering the market," he said. "Since 2023, Joyworks has also fiercely competed with large companies every year to honor our contract."
He added, "I understand that nearly 30 large companies contacted the U.S. headquarters after the reports about the contract termination," and argued, "If it is fair competition, we welcome it anytime, but if someone calculated to bring down people to take the distribution rights, using the clout of big corporations to shake the framework of a fair market must stop immediately."
Cho drew a line, saying that since he has already left Joyworks, this news conference was not a bid to return to management. "Over the past eight years, together with Korea's top running and outdoor experts, we have grown HOKA, and a brand that grew 20-fold in eight years was built by 140 employees," he said. "An incident that began with my personal lapse in judgment is unsettling the livelihoods of employees and families who have nothing to do with it."
He continued, "I will shoulder my wrongdoing and accept any punishment," and appealed, "But please do not make the employees bear that punishment in my place."
Cho also sent a message to Deckers Brands in the United States, which owns HOKA. "This is a matter concerning Cho Sung-hwan as an individual," he said. "Before the truth is revealed, employees must not lose their workplaces." He added, "Deckers is also a victim of distorted reports and fake news," and "I earnestly ask you to protect our employees with a fair and wise judgment."