"Kim Keon Hee Barely Eats," Says Former Aide in Tears... Lawyer Says Some Spectators Also Wept

[Financial News] Some spectators reportedly shed tears after testimony about Kim Keon Hee's health condition was heard at the trial of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's wife.
Lawyer Yu Jeong-hwa, who represents the former presidential couple, said on Facebook on the 26th that she described the day's hearing and Kim Keon Hee's health condition inside the detention center.
Yu first wrote, "Many people came today to attend Kim Keon Hee's trial," adding, "As I watched them wipe away tears in various parts of the courtroom while listening to the former aide's testimony, it broke our hearts as well."
She went on to say, "Thanks to all of you for continuing to share your concerns and submit petitions, Madam Kim has been able to adjust her medication well and receive IV treatment in the detention center," and added, "We will continue to take good care of her health."
She also said, "I sincerely thank you for always sending your support and standing with us," and asked, "I hope you will also take good care of your health and make sure you eat well."
According to TV Chosun, the hearing was the first trial in Kim Keon Hee's appeal case on charges of solicitation bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes, heard by Criminal Division 15-3 of the Seoul High Court, presided over by judges Sung Eon-ju, Won Ik-seon and Lee Hee-jun.
Jung Ji-won, a former aide at the Presidential Office who had accompanied Kim Keon Hee closely for a long time, appeared as a witness.
Kim Keon Hee's side requested Jung as a witness to prove that the Vacheron Constantin wristwatch worth 39.9 million won, received from businessman Seo Sung-bin, was not payment for a favor request but an item she had asked someone to purchase on her behalf.
The aim was to support the argument that the watch received from Seo was also a purchase-arrangement item handled in the same way, based on Jung's testimony that Kim Keon Hee had often asked people around her to pay for items on her behalf and later settled the bill in cash.
Jung also testified that at Kim Keon Hee's request, he paid 1.47 million won for a vase in December 2022 and 13.25 million won for tableware the following January with his own card, then received the money back in cash from Kim Keon Hee.
Explaining how the tableware was purchased, he said, "We had received extremely generous treatment during an overseas trip, and when foreign dignitaries came, we also had to serve refreshments," adding, "The tableware at the residence was made in the 1980s and did not fit the country's status, so I thought we should prepare proper tea service items for state guests, even if I had to pay for them myself, and we went to a department store together to buy them."
Regarding the vase, he explained, "There are many flower arrangements brought into the residence every week, and calling a florist every time for routine occasions is expensive," adding, "Kim Keon Hee learned flower arranging separately and did it herself, so she needed a vase that matched it."
Jung also testified that Choi Eun-soon, Kim Keon Hee's mother, had provided her daughter with 5 million to 10 million won in monthly living expenses in cash after Yoon Suk Yeol retired as Prosecutor General of South Korea.
He said Kim Keon Hee sometimes asked not only him but also former aide Kyeong-ok Yu and others to buy items or make payments on her behalf, then settled the amount in cash.
As for Seo's watch, he said he personally saw Kim Keon Hee take an envelope containing cash from the master bedroom at the residence and hand it to Seo.
When the Special Prosecutor's Team for Kim Kun-hee asked how he knew the money was a down payment for a watch purchase arrangement, he replied, "She would not have given the money otherwise, and since the watch was brought later, I assumed it was the price of the watch."
Asked about Kim Keon Hee's health after Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, he also choked up, saying, "She has to lie down all day and barely eats, so she has no strength even to get up."
The court plans to hear final arguments from both sides on the 9th, close the proceedings, and deliver its verdict on the 22nd of the same month.
[email protected] An Ga-eul Reporter