Kim Keon-hee Cried 'A Lot' After Court Reunion with Ex-President Yoon
Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, faced each other in court for the first time in 278 days.
- Kim Keon-hee testified as a witness in a trial related to Yoon's alleged political fund violations.
- Her lawyer stated that Kim was deeply emotional after the court appearance, crying extensively upon returning to the detention center.
The courtroom on November 14th witnessed a poignant reunion between former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, marking their first face-to-face encounter in 278 days. Kim appeared as a witness in a trial concerning allegations of political fund violations against Yoon, a situation that has cast a long shadow over their public lives.
After finishing the witness examination, I couldn't remember how the time passed on the way back to the detention center, and I cried a lot after returning.
According to Yoo Jung-hwa, the couple's lawyer, the encounter was fraught with emotion. Yoo's Facebook post, titled 'They are also a couple,' detailed Kim's visible distress during the proceedings. She reportedly glanced at Yoon multiple times, her voice trembling as she testified, and her nose reddened at one point, indicating a struggle to contain her tears. Despite her emotional state, she maintained a composed demeanor, ultimately refusing to answer certain questions.
I am not seeking sympathy. I am conveying the facts as they are to correct distorted speculation.
Following the court session, Kim returned to the detention center, where, as her lawyer conveyed, she "cried a lot." Yoo emphasized that this account was not an appeal for sympathy but a clarification of facts amidst "distorted speculation." The lawyer stressed the importance of remembering their humanity, stating, "The two are also people with emotions, and the natural fact that they are a couple should not be erased."
The two are also people with emotions, and the natural fact that they are a couple should not be erased.
The brief exchange between Yoon and Kim in court, where Yoon offered a smile and passed a short note to his wife, underscored the personal toll of their legal battles. From a South Korean perspective, this event is not just a legal proceeding but a deeply human drama, highlighting the resilience of a couple facing immense public scrutiny and personal hardship. The media's portrayal and public reaction to such intimate moments often reflect broader societal views on privacy, justice, and the pressures faced by public figures and their families.
Kim looked at (former President Yoon) several times out of the corner of her eye during the witness examination and became choked up, her nose turning red.
Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.