The husband of Kim Seul A, CEO of Kurly Inc., has been indicted without detention on charges of indecent assault against a female employee at Next Kitchen, a Kurly-affiliated company where he serves as CEO.
According to court documents and testimony obtained by Dispatch, Jung Seung Bin allegedly sexually assaulted a probationary employee, identified as A, during a company dinner in June 2025 at a restaurant in Seoul’s Seongdong District.
Witnesses and chat records indicate that Jung moved his seat next to A during the dinner, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, “I like you,” while repeatedly touching her body despite visible discomfort. A recalled the incident as a “100-minute nightmare.”
At the time, A was undergoing a probationary evaluation before full-time employment. Jung allegedly leveraged his authority over her employment status, whispering that “probation is like cohabitation” and suggesting that regularization depended on whether they were “compatible.”
“He told me that no matter what anyone said, if he decided to keep me, I would be kept,” A told Dispatch. Chat messages exchanged in real time between A and a colleague present at the dinner corroborate her account. In the messages, the colleague expressed shock and disgust at Jung’s behavior, describing it as inappropriate and disturbing.
According to A and witnesses, Jung continued touching her arm, shoulder, back, and waist, at times attempting to embrace her while whispering about her evaluation. He was reportedly holding a wine glass and appeared intoxicated, but made no effort to stop despite being in full view of other employees. When the issue later surfaced internally, Jung reportedly explained his behavior as “American-style” physical closeness.
After the incident became known within the company, Jung summoned A to a meeting room and apologized, saying, “I did something crazy. I have no excuse. I’m very sorry.” However, he reportedly downplayed the assault as drunken behavior and attributed it to cultural differences, claiming he had become “Westernized” due to having studied abroad.
No formal disciplinary action was taken against Jung. A received only an informal apology, and the company declined to explain the incident to other witnesses. No internal sexual harassment reporting system was activated.
A ultimately resigned from the company and sought psychiatric treatment, where she was diagnosed with moderate depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She later filed a criminal complaint against Jung.
Prosecutors acknowledged the validity of the sexual assault allegations and indicted Jung on charges of indecent assault without detention. Jung’s legal representative confirmed the indictment but declined to comment further, citing the ongoing trial.
Kurly is the largest shareholder of Next Kitchen, holding a reported 46.41% stake. In 2024, Next Kitchen recorded sales of approximately 25.1 billion KRW (about 17 million USD), while Kurly’s purchases from the company totaled 25.3 billion KRW (about 17.1 million USD), indicating near-total dependence on Kurly for revenue.
Next Kitchen’s core business involves developing private-label food products exclusively for Kurly. Kim Seul A has reportedly been directly involved in product tasting, evaluation, and development decisions. Internal company messages show Jung relaying Kim’s feedback on product seasoning, naming, and descriptions to employees. Despite these close ties, Kurly has remained silent on the case. Kim Seul A did not respond to A’s formal legal notice, according to sources.
Kurly launched in 2015 and rapidly grew by targeting female consumers. However, neither the company nor its CEO has issued a public response regarding the allegations involving the CEO’s spouse. Jung, meanwhile, has continued collaborating with high-profile chefs on new products.
In a prior interview posted on Next Kitchen’s website, Jung stated that “the company should provide employee protection, not colleagues,” emphasizing the importance of a workplace safety net. Critics now point out the contrast between that statement and the company’s handling of the assault allegations.
As the criminal trial proceeds, questions continue to mount over corporate responsibility, governance, and accountability within companies tied to Kurly’s leadership.
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