Kim Keon-hee, the wife of former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, has been hospitalized for severe depression at Seoul's Asan Medical Center, marking the latest chapter in a dramatic fall from grace for the once-high-profile first lady.
The 51-year-old, who reportedly suffered hyperventilation episodes requiring additional respiratory treatment, had seen her health steadily deteriorate since becoming embroiled in multiple scandals last October, including allegations of political meddling and stock manipulation tied to a controversial broker. Her weight reportedly dropped below 40kg during the height of the controversies, which coincided with her husband's impeachment proceedings and their subsequent relocation from the presidential residence in April.
The hospitalization comes as Kim faces the potential revocation of her master's and doctoral degrees, with Sookmyung Women's University already initiating procedures to cancel her graduate credentials and Kookmin University prepared to follow suit. Her legal troubles continue to mount, with ongoing investigations into her alleged involvement in stock price manipulation and political interference cases. The former first lady, who maintained an unusually low public profile after leaving office with just one brief public appearance during June's parliamentary elections, now finds herself at the center of a perfect storm of personal health crises and professional disgrace, with her husband making quiet visits to her hospital bedside between his legal proceedings.
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