The former head of the domestic distributor for running shoe brand Hoka, who had been under investigation for assaulting the head and an employee of a competing company, has been put on trial.

The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors Office announced on September 17 that it had indicted Cho Sung-hwan, former CEO of Joyworks & Co, without detention on charges including assault, property damage, and false accusation.

Cho is accused of luring the head and an employee of a competitor to an abandoned church building in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, in December of last year and assaulting them.

Immediately following the incident, the victims filed a complaint against Cho with the Seoul Seongdong Police Station on charges including assault. Cho also filed a counter-complaint against them before later withdrawing it.

Cho stepped down from his position as CEO in January, and the police forwarded him to the prosecution in February.

Immediately following the controversy, Hoka's U.S. headquarters terminated its distributorship contract with Joyworks & Co.

The prosecution re-investigated Cho's charges through supplementary investigations between April and May and requested an arrest warrant, but the court dismissed it, stating that there was no concern of evidence destruction or flight.

The prosecution reportedly added charges and indicted him after determining that Cho blocking the rival company representative's vehicle with his own car constituted property damage, and that his counter-complaint claiming the victims had assaulted him constituted false accusation.

Cho's side recently held a press conference where they admitted to the assault but claimed that the competing company provoked the attack in order to seize Hoka's domestic distribution rights.

(Photo: Yonhap News)