Cho Sung-hwan, former CEO of Joyworks, the former domestic distributor of the sports brand Hoka who was sent to prosecutors on charges of assaulting former business partner representatives in an abandoned building, has acknowledged his responsibility while claiming that the victims intentionally provoked the assault to seize Hoka's exclusive domestic distribution rights.

During a press conference held today (August 10), former CEO Cho stated, "Regardless of the reason, exercising violence is a clear wrong, and I will take legal and moral responsibility." However, he also claimed, "In the background of this incident were the systematic breach of trust, leakage of trade secrets, and attempts to steal distribution rights by former employees and competitor affiliates."

Previously, former CEO Cho was referred to prosecutors on charges of assaulting two former business partner representatives at an abandoned building in Seongdong-gu last December.

As the controversy grew and even led to a boycott, former CEO Cho issued an apology and resigned from his post as CEO, prompting Hoka's parent company Deckers to notify the termination of its domestic distribution contract.

Former CEO Cho claimed that the assault victims had openly spoken ill of him even before the incident, made insulting remarks targeting his family, and deliberately provoked the assault.

He also raised suspicions that a third-party mastermind existed behind the victims.

Former CEO Cho claimed that they received support from a figure whom the victims called "Chairman" to handle police investigations and media responses. Although he did not explicitly mention a company or name, he went on to suggest a connection to a major domestic retail conglomerate that jumped into the competition for Hoka distribution rights after Deckers notified the contract termination.

When the assault controversy became public, reports emerged that Joyworks' contract with the U.S. parent company Deckers had been terminated, and former CEO Cho's side is questioning the ongoing news regarding major corporations vying for Hoka's distribution rights amid such a situation.

With Joyworks and Deckers currently undergoing international arbitration proceedings regarding the termination of the domestic distribution contract, former CEO Cho's side appealed to Deckers to carefully reconsider the contract issue, stating that his personal assault case is threatening the livelihoods of some 140 executives and employees unrelated to the company.

(Reported by Kim Taewon | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Design by Lee Sumin | Produced by SBS Digital News)