Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been visiting Seoul Asan Medical Center almost daily to care for his wife, Kim Keon Hee, a close aide told local media Wednesday.
According to lawyer Seo Jung-wook, Kim's condition has deteriorated since she was hospitalized on June 16 for depression and difficulty breathing. Her stay was initially expected to last about a week, but has been extended due to worsening health.
Kim is at the center of a special counsel probe into 16 alleged corruption and influence-peddling allegations tied to her time as first lady. These include suspected stock manipulation, bribery involving corporate sponsorships of her exhibitions, illegal campaign financing, and meddling in government appointments. Despite her hospitalization, Seo said Kim will “appear at the prosecutor’s office when summoned,” ruling out the possibility of investigators questioning her in the hospital.
Former President Yoon, too, is also facing investigations over his failed martial law attempt in December 2024. Special prosecutors filed for an arrest warrant for him Tuesday.
The former president had defied multiple summons from police since March. His legal team claims this was partly due to his wife’s condition and partly because the case had not yet been officially transferred to the special counsel.
Separately, two universities recently revoked Kim’s academic degrees after confirming plagiarism in her theses. Sookmyung Women’s University found over 48 percent of her master’s thesis copied and canceled the degree. Kookmin University then rescinded her doctorate, which had depended on the former.
Seo criticized the timing, saying such actions “would have been brave under Yoon’s presidency,” but now appear politically motivated.
mjh@heraldcorp.com
