Korean paper seeks millions from Jackson estate

In this March 17, 2005 file photo, pop star Michael Jackson arrives at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse in Santa Maria, Calif.[Agencies]

LOS ANGELES — A South Korean newspaper is seeking nearly $7.9 million from Michael Jackson's estate for an unpaid judgment entered against his parents and brother, court records show.

The Segye Times filed court records on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court seeking priority for repayment of a $4 million judgment entered against Katherine and Joe Jackson and their son Jermaine in 1994 for canceled concert dates. The judgment has nearly doubled as interest has accrued.

The paper sued the Jacksons in 1990 in Contra Costa, claiming the family members were paid $5.5 million for a series of concerts. The concerts never happened and the paper sued, including Michael Jackson as a defendant, documents state.

The pop superstar settled the claims against him in an out-of-court deal in 1992. It was unclear whether his estate is liable for the remaining judgment.

The records filed in Los Angeles show a judge held a trial in February 1992. None of the remaining Jacksons listed in the lawsuit showed up for the trial, and a judgment against Katherine, Joe and Jermaine Jackson was entered.

The Jackson family later asked for a new trial, but the bid was rejected.

Katherine Jackson is the only person listed in the filing who is a beneficiary of her son's estate. The 79-year-old and her son's three children are the only individuals slated to receive any of Jackson's estate, which is being placed into a private trust.

"I have no knowledge or comment on this matter," Katherine Jackson's attorney, L. Londell McMillan, wrote in an e-mail.

The judgment is one of several listed in a 1999 bankruptcy petition filed by Katherine and Joe Jackson in Los Angeles. At the time, the couple listed $24 million in debts that included court judgments, auto loans and credit cards.