Seoul, South Korea – September 3, 2025
Concerns are mounting over the health of former First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who is currently being held at the Seoul Southern Detention Center. According to reports from South Korean media and statements by her legal team, Kim has requested outpatient medical treatment due to a sharp decline in her physical condition.
Sources within the Ministry of Justice confirmed that Kim’s legal representatives recently submitted a formal request to allow her to receive care outside the detention facility. Her attorneys stated that her blood pressure has dropped to dangerously low levels — reportedly as low as 35/70 — and that she has been exhibiting symptoms of presyncope, including dizziness and near-fainting episodes.
Presyncope refers to a medical condition involving a temporary loss of blood flow to the brain, often resulting in lightheadedness or blurred vision. In response to the request, the detention center conducted blood pressure checks and a blood test on September 2 to assess the risk of organ failure and determine whether outpatient care is warranted.
Kim was arrested on August 12 and indicted on August 29 after being summoned five times during the investigation. She postponed three of those sessions, citing medical issues.
Shin Pyung, a lawyer known as a close associate of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, visited Kim and later wrote on social media that she appeared “so emaciated that only a bony frame remained,” further stoking public concern over her condition.
Kim’s situation has drawn political attention and criticism, with some alleging that her detention is politically motivated under the current administration of President Lee Jae-myung.
Further developments are expected once the results of her medical tests are reviewed.