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Open Decision Ledger · Rehabilitation & bankruptcy

Whether Exercise of the Right to Complete a Preliminary Contract under an Assignment by Way of Security of a Collective Claim in the Form of a Preliminary Contract Falls within the Scope of Avoidance of an Act Detrimental to Creditors under the Corporate Reorganization Act

Translated from the Korean original. Read the Korean

Supreme Court, July 9, 2002, 2001Da46761 (judgment)

Case name: 부인의소

Official text on the National Law Information Center

  1. Question

    Does an act whereby a financial institution, pursuant to a preliminary contract for payment in kind concluded with a company prior to reorganization, exercised the right to select receivables and the right to complete the preliminary contract and gave notice of the assignment of claims fall within the scope of avoidance of an act detrimental to creditors under Article 78 (1) 2 of the Corporate Reorganization Act?

  2. Holding

    The basic agreement is a preliminary contract for payment in kind aimed at the assignment of receivables, that is, an assignment by way of security of a collective claim in the form of a preliminary contract. The Supreme Court held that the exercise of the right to complete the preliminary contract was an act of the financial institution itself and that, absent special circumstances such as collusion with the company, it was not subject to avoidance of an act detrimental to creditors.

    Summary of the holding, verbatim

    회사정리법상의 부인의 대상은 원칙적으로 정리 전 회사의 행위라고 할 것이고, 다만 회사의 행위가 없었다고 하더라도 정리 전 회사와의 통모 등 특별한 사정이 있어서 채권자 또는 제3자의 행위를 회사의 행위와 동일시할 수 있는 경우에는 예외적으로 그 채권자 또는 제3자의 행위도 부인의 대상으로 할 수 있다.

    Unofficial English translation

    As a rule, the subject of avoidance under the Company Reorganization Act is the act of the company prior to the commencement of reorganization proceedings; provided, however, that where, even absent an act of the company, there are special circumstances such as collusion with the company prior to the commencement of reorganization proceedings such that the act of a creditor or a third party can be identified with the act of the company, the act of such creditor or third party may exceptionally also be made the subject of avoidance.
  3. Disposition

    Reversed and remanded Stated in the decision

    원심판결을 파기하고, 이 사건을 서울고등법원에 환송한다.

    Unofficial English translation

    The judgment of the court below is reversed, and the case is remanded to the Seoul High Court.
  4. Form of the test

    Elements stated Stated in the decision

    채권자 또는 제3자의 행위를 회사의 행위와 동일시할 수 있는 경우에는 예외적으로 그 채권자 또는 제3자의 행위도 부인의 대상으로 할 수 있다.

    Unofficial English translation

    where the act of a creditor or a third party can be identified with the act of the company, the act of such creditor or third party may exceptionally also be made the subject of avoidance.
  5. Factors

    • 회사정리법상의 부인의 대상은 원칙적으로 정리 전 회사의 행위
    • 정리 전 회사와의 통모 등 특별한 사정
    • 채권자 또는 제3자의 행위를 회사의 행위와 동일시할 수 있는 경우
    • 이른바 예약형 집합채권의 양도담보에 해당한다

    Unofficial English translation

    • As a rule, the subject of avoidance under the Company Reorganization Act is the act of the company prior to the commencement of reorganization proceedings

    • collusion with the company prior to the commencement of reorganization proceedings or other special circumstances

    • where the act of a creditor or a third party can be identified with the act of the company

    • falls within the so-called assignment as security of collective claims in the form of a preliminary agreement

  6. Relation to precedent

    Follows earlier decisions Stated in the decision

    대법원 2002. 7. 9. 선고 99다73159 판결

    Unofficial English translation

    Supreme Court Decision 99Da73159, decided July 9, 2002

    Decisions referred to

    [2] 대법원 2002. 7. 9. 선고 99다73159 판결

  7. Burden of proof

    Not addressed Not in the decision

  8. Open question and revisit condition

    Was the selection by the financial institution of claims not stated in the statement of receivables issued by the company undergoing reorganization a valid selection consistent with the purpose of the basic agreement?

    If the scope of avoidance of third-party acts is treated differently in the interpretation of the avoidance provisions of the Debtor Rehabilitation and Bankruptcy Act, this reading will be re-examined.

Cross-family AI independent reading & axis check

6 of 8 axes matched GPT-6 Astra (OpenAI, codex CLI) · 2026-10-16

Compared with an independent reading by a different AI line (GPT-6 Astra), which read only the original text without seeing the first reading, 6 of the 8 axes agreed, and the readings diverged on the 4th axis (Form of the test) and on the 8th axis (Open question and revisit condition).

Axis 4 (Form of the test): Primary “Elements stated” vs Independent “Existing test applied”

Because the original text presents both the exceptional requirements for avoiding a third party's act and a case applying those requirements to a financial institution's exercise of rights, the first reading may attend to the elements while the independent reading attends to the application to the facts.

회사정리법 제78조 제1항 제2호 소정의 위기부인의 대상이 되지 않는다고 한 사례.

Axis 8 (Open question and revisit condition): Primary “Was the selection by the financial institution of claims not stated in the statement of receivables issued by the company undergoing reorganization a valid selection consistent with the purpose of the basic agreement?” vs Independent “What is included in the special circumstances, other than collusion, that would allow the creditor's exercise of rights to be identified with the company's act?”

The first reading questions the validity of the selection of claims not stated in the statement, while the independent reading questions the scope of the special circumstances, other than collusion, warranting identification with the company's act.

회사정리법상의 부인의 대상은 원칙적으로 정리 전 회사의 행위라고 할 것이고, 다만 회사의 행위가 없었다고 하더라도 정리 전 회사와의 통모 등 특별한 사정이 있어서 채권자 또는 제3자의 행위를 회사의 행위와 동일시할 수 있는 경우에는 예외적으로 그 채권자 또는 제3자의 행위도 부인의 대상으로 할 수 있다.

Raw responses and comparison record: Protocol · Blind readings (JSONL) · Axis comparison (JSONL) · SHA-256 (JSON)

Lower-court contrast & scope of application

Lower-court reading vs. Supreme Court holding

Lower-court context: The court below viewed the basic agreement as a comprehensive unnamed contract granting the defendant authority of representation or disposition to identify and acquire the receivables, and held that the assignment agreement was not formed until December 2, 1999, when the blank documents were filled in, and that the defendant's acts of supplementation and of notification could as a whole be regarded as acts of the company undergoing reorganization; on that basis it recognized avoidance of an act detrimental to creditors and affirmed the judgment of the court of first instance, which had granted the plaintiff's claim.

Supreme Court standard: The Supreme Court viewed the basic agreement as an assignment by way of security of a collective claim in the form of a preliminary contract, holding that the defendant's exercise of the right of selection and of the right to complete the preliminary contract was the defendant's own act and not an act of assignment by the company undergoing reorganization, and that there were no special circumstances warranting their identification, such as collusion. The notification likewise did not meet the requirements for avoidance, and the alternative assertion of avoidance of the opposability requirement under Article 80 (1) also did not stand, since the act was performed within 15 days from the date of completion of the preliminary contract; accordingly, the Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the court below.

Distinguishing conditions

  • Where there are special circumstances warranting the identification of the creditor's act with the company's act, such as where the creditor exercises the right to complete the preliminary contract in collusion with the company prior to reorganization
  • Where the basic agreement is not a preliminary contract for payment in kind but is structured so that the company must make a declaration of intention at each individual assignment, so that an act of assignment by the company separately exists at the time of the crisis
  • Where an act to satisfy the opposability requirement is performed in bad faith after 15 days have elapsed from the transfer of the right

Record verification notes

Before asserting the same conclusion, first check whether the selected claims fall within the scope of the statement of receivables provided for in the basic agreement, and whether the company's cooperation or collusion was involved in the exercise of the right to complete the preliminary contract.

From the official text

Points at issue

[1] 금융기관이 정리 전 회사로부터 매출채권을 담보로 제공받아 기존 대출금의 만기를 연장해 주기로 하면서 정리 전 회사와 체결한 약정이 정리 전 회사의 대출채무를 담보하기 위하여 정리 전 회사의 매출채권에 관한 채권양도를 목적으로 한 대물변제의 예약을 체결한 계약으로서 이른바 예약형 집합채권의 양도담보에 해당한다고 한 사례 [2] 회사정리법 제78조 제1항 소정의 부인의 대상이 되는 ‘회사의 행위’의 범위 [3] 금융기관이 정리 전 회사와 사이에 체결한 정리 전 회사의 대출채무를 담보하기 위한 정리 전 회사의 매출채권에 관한 채권양도를 목적으로 하는 대물변제의 예약의 내용에 따라 예약완결권과 대물변제로 양도·양수할 매출채권의 선택권을 행사하고 정리 전 회사를 대리하여 제3채무자에게 채권양도 사실을 통지한 것이 회사정리법 제78조 제1항 제2호 소정의 위기부인의 대상이 되지 않는다고 한 사례

Unofficial English translation

[1] A case where an agreement entered into between a financial institution and the company prior to the commencement of reorganization proceedings, in which the financial institution received receivables of the company as security in consideration of extending the maturity of the existing loan, was held to constitute a preliminary agreement for payment in kind, the purpose of which is to assign the receivables of the company as security for the loan obligations of the company, and thus to fall within the so-called assignment as security of collective claims in the form of a preliminary agreement [2] The scope of "acts of the company" subject to avoidance under Article 78 (1) of the Company Reorganization Act [3] A case where it was held that the exercise, by a financial institution, of the right to complete the preliminary agreement and of the right to select the receivables to be assigned and transferred through payment in kind, in accordance with the content of the preliminary agreement for payment in kind entered into between the financial institution and the company prior to the commencement of reorganization proceedings, the purpose of which is to assign the receivables of the company as security for the loan obligations of the company, and the giving of notice of the fact of assignment to the third-party debtor on behalf of the company prior to the commencement of reorganization proceedings, do not constitute the subject of avoidance for the period of crisis under Article 78 (1) 2 of the Company Reorganization Act

Summary of the holding

[1] 금융기관이 정리 전 회사로부터 매출채권을 담보로 제공받아 기존 대출금의 만기를 연장해 주기로 하면서 정리 전 회사와 체결한 약정이 정리 전 회사의 대출채무를 담보하기 위하여 정리 전 회사의 매출채권에 관한 채권양도를 목적으로 한 대물변제의 예약을 체결한 계약으로서 이른바 예약형 집합채권의 양도담보에 해당한다고 한 사례. [2] 회사정리법 제78조 제1항 각 호의 규정에 의하면, 회사정리법상의 부인의 대상은 원칙적으로 정리 전 회사의 행위라고 할 것이고, 다만 회사의 행위가 없었다고 하더라도 정리 전 회사와의 통모 등 특별한 사정이 있어서 채권자 또는 제3자의 행위를 회사의 행위와 동일시할 수 있는 경우에는 예외적으로 그 채권자 또는 제3자의 행위도 부인의 대상으로 할 수 있다. [3] 금융기관이 정리 전 회사와 사이에 체결한 정리 전 회사의 대출채무를 담보하기 위한 정리 전 회사의 매출채권에 관한 채권양도를 목적으로 하는 대물변제의 예약의 내용에 따라 예약완결권과 대물변제로 양도·양수할 매출채권의 선택권을 행사하고 정리 전 회사를 대리하여 제3채무자에게 채권양도 사실을 통지한 것이 회사정리법 제78조 제1항 제2호 소정의 위기부인의 대상이 되지 않는다고 한 사례.

Order

원심판결을 파기하고, 이 사건을 서울고등법원에 환송한다.

Unofficial English translation

The judgment of the court below is reversed, and the case is remanded to the Seoul High Court.

Provisions referred to

[1] 민법 제105조, 제372조[양도담보], 제449조, 제607조 [2] 회사정리법 제78조 제1항 [3] 회사정리법 제78조 제1항

Read 2026-10-16 · Cross-read 2026-10-16. All quotes matched against the official text. The Chinese-character placeholders the court used for anonymised parties are given in their Korean readings, and parenthetical Chinese-character glosses are omitted.

Every entry is published only after all quotes have been matched character by character against the official text, and audited by an independent second reading from a different model family across all eight axes. Both agreed axes and text-grounded interpretive divergences are recorded openly. The ledger is a research record, not an assessment of the court or advice on any matter.

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