"She's Eating Well With Money in Her Prison Account": Nearly 1,000 Petitions to Detention Center About Kim Keon Hee's Health

961 petitions asking about her health filed in 19 days
Surged after former administrative officer's testimony in August

Nearly 1,000 petitions have been filed asking about the health of First Lady Kim Keon Hee, who is being held in detention.

First Lady Kim Keon Hee attended the first-trial sentencing hearing in a case in which she is charged with mediation-related bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes. The hearing was held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu on June 26. Yonhap News.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Justice to the office of Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Eui-kyeom, a total of 961 petitions asking about Kim's health were filed with the Seoul Southern Detention Center over 19 days, from July 27 to August 14. This marks a sharp increase in petitions in just over two months, compared with the three related petitions filed in May.

Some observers interpret the surge in petitions as coinciding with testimony at trial that raised concerns about Kim's health.

Earlier, on August 26, the first hearing in the appeal of Kim's case, in which she is charged with mediation bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, was held before the 15-3 Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court.

Jung Ji-won, a former administrative officer at the presidential office who had served as Kim's aide, appeared as a witness that day. Asked about Kim's health after the impeachment of former President Yoon, Jung reportedly said through tears, "(Kim) has to lie down all day and barely eats, so she doesn't even have the strength to stand up."

Attorney Yoo Jeong-hwa, a member of the legal team representing former President Yoon and his wife, discussed the day's court proceedings and Kim's health in detention, saying, "It was very painful for us to see people wiping away tears here and there as they listened to the former administrative officer's testimony."

However, according to an internal detention center report obtained by Kim's office, Kim complained of dizziness in August and received intravenous fluids. As for meals, she selectively ate the group meals provided by the detention center and was also eating food purchased with funds deposited into her prison account.

Some legal experts have suggested that complaints by Kim's side about her health, along with the wave of petitions to the detention center, may be groundwork to establish a rationale for her release, such as through a future bail application, ahead of the October 31 expiration of her detention period in the final appeal of the three major cases involving allegations.

Meanwhile, lawmaker Kim Eui-kyeom said, "Petitions expressing concern about Kim Keon Hee's meals and other matters are taking up even the time correctional officers should be spending on ordinary inmates." He added, "This must not be mistaken for or exploited as grounds for special treatment, such as a future release; the same strict principles must be applied to all inmates."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.