Kolmar Group Chairman Yoon Dong-han held a 'father-son meeting' with his son, Vice Chairman Yoon Sang-hyun, who is embroiled in a management rights dispute, but it was reported on the 19th that he applied to the court two days later, asking to set a trial date for the stock return. This indicates that he intends to proceed with the trial concerning the core of the management rights dispute.
The father-son meeting of Kolmar took place on the 12th. It is said that the son, Vice Chairman Yoon Sang-hyun, requested to meet with his father, Chairman Yoon Dong-han, without any attendants. This father-son meeting was the first after Chairman Yoon filed a lawsuit demanding the return of 2.3 million shares of Kolmar Holdings, which he gifted in 2018, three months ago.
Afterward, the side of Vice Chairman Yoon stated that "this holds significant meaning as it was the first meeting after the management rights dispute" and that "Vice Chairman Yoon Sang-hyun expressed his apologies regarding this situation."
However, it has been reported that the perspective from Chairman Yoon's side is different. A representative from Kolmar BNH noted that "after the fact of the father-son meeting became known, reports emerged speculating a calming of the conflict," and added that "when a close aide of Chairman Yoon asked, 'So is the conflict now resolved?' he himself reportedly replied, 'Not at all.'"
In fact, just two days after the father-son meeting, Chairman Yoon applied to the court, asking to set a trial date for the stock return. This lawsuit was filed at the end of May, but related injunction applications had delayed the scheduling of the trial.
Additionally, immediately after the father-son meeting, Chairman Yoon reinforced his legal team for the stock return trial. Attorney Kang Il-won (65, Judicial Research and Training Institute 14th), a former constitutional court justice from Kim & Chang, and Attorney Kim Yong-dae (65, 17th), a former family court president, were added. Attorney Choi Chang-young (57, 24th), a former judge of the Daejeon High Court affiliated with Shin & Kim LLC, and Attorney Lee Won (55, 26th), a former judge of the Seoul Central District Court, were also appointed.
As a result, the first formal trial of the stock return lawsuit will be held on Oct. 23 at the 29th Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court.
Regarding this, a legal professional noted that "the Kolmar management rights dispute is unfolding in a father-daughter versus son structure, overlapping with both the stock return and executive appointment disputes," adding that "it appears to be a situation where neither party can afford to concede an inch."