Summary A business owner invested ₩100 million in a tech startup on a verbal agreement only. Two years later there was no product and no response. Instead of treating it as an ordinary investment loss, we built the claim as an agreement to return the money, won a judgment, investigated the company’s finances and enforced against it.
Background
Mr. Kim (pseudonym), who runs a small business, invested ₩100 million in a startup developing a new technology product (referred to here as "XYZ Tech"). There was no formal investment contract — only a verbal agreement. Two years passed without a product launch, and the company stopped responding to his enquiries.
Why this was difficult
An investment normally carries the risk of losing the principal, so an investor cannot usually demand the money back simply because the business failed. Without a written contract, the terms were also hard to prove.
What we did
1) Reframing the claim: based on the transfers, calls, text and messenger conversations, we framed the money as funds the company had agreed to return, rather than a risk investment.
2) Lawsuit: the court accepted this and ruled that XYZ Tech was obliged to repay.
3) Investigating the company: we examined the company’s finances and fund flows to identify assets for enforcement.
4) Enforcement: we enforced the judgment against the company’s assets.
Result
Mr. Kim recovered his investment, together with the litigation costs awarded by the court.
Key takeaways
1) Whether money is a loan, an investment or an agreed repayment changes what you can claim. The evidence around the transfer matters.
2) Even without a written contract, transfers and messages can prove what was agreed.
3) Against a company, enforcement starts with understanding its accounts, customers and assets.
Names are pseudonyms and some details have been changed to protect client confidentiality. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Related guides
• Will a Fraud Complaint Get My Money Back in Korea?
• Won a Judgment in Korea but Still Not Paid?
• Collecting Unpaid B2B Invoices from a Korean Company
Investment not returned?
We review how the money was paid and what was agreed, then pursue recovery through litigation and enforcement in Korea, with advice in English.
Request a consultation ➔
Summary A business owner invested ₩100 million in a tech startup on a verbal agreement only. Two years later there was no product and no response. Instead of treating it as an ordinary investment loss, we built the claim as an agreement to return the money, won a judgment, investigated the company’s finances and enforced against it.
Background
Mr. Kim (pseudonym), who runs a small business, invested ₩100 million in a startup developing a new technology product (referred to here as "XYZ Tech"). There was no formal investment contract — only a verbal agreement. Two years passed without a product launch, and the company stopped responding to his enquiries.
Why this was difficult
An investment normally carries the risk of losing the principal, so an investor cannot usually demand the money back simply because the business failed. Without a written contract, the terms were also hard to prove.
What we did
1) Reframing the claim: based on the transfers, calls, text and messenger conversations, we framed the money as funds the company had agreed to return, rather than a risk investment.
2) Lawsuit: the court accepted this and ruled that XYZ Tech was obliged to repay.
3) Investigating the company: we examined the company’s finances and fund flows to identify assets for enforcement.
4) Enforcement: we enforced the judgment against the company’s assets.
Result
Mr. Kim recovered his investment, together with the litigation costs awarded by the court.
Key takeaways
1) Whether money is a loan, an investment or an agreed repayment changes what you can claim. The evidence around the transfer matters.
2) Even without a written contract, transfers and messages can prove what was agreed.
3) Against a company, enforcement starts with understanding its accounts, customers and assets.
Names are pseudonyms and some details have been changed to protect client confidentiality. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Related guides
• Will a Fraud Complaint Get My Money Back in Korea?
• Won a Judgment in Korea but Still Not Paid?
• Collecting Unpaid B2B Invoices from a Korean Company
Investment not returned?
We review how the money was paid and what was agreed, then pursue recovery through litigation and enforcement in Korea, with advice in English.
Request a consultation ➔