[Exclusive]'Failure to Pay Child Support' Kim Dong-sung Appeal Verdict Suddenly Cancelled.. Retrial of Arguments Resumed

*This content was translated by AI.

The appeal verdict for former short track national team athlete Kim Dong-sung, who was sentenced to six months in prison at the first instance for failing to pay child support, has been suddenly cancelled.

According to an investigation by StarNews, the Suwon District Court Criminal Appeal Division 6-1 cancelled the scheduled appeal verdict for Kim Dong-sung on charges of violating the Act on the Securing and Supporting Child Support, which was set for the 11th, and decided to resume arguments. The date for the resumed arguments has not yet been determined.

Previously, the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office filed a non-detained indictment against Kim Dong-sung in October 2025 on these charges. It is reported that Kim failed to pay child support from 2019 to the present for his two children raised by his divorced ex-wife A, amounting to over 100 million won. Child custodian A filed a lawsuit seeking a court order for child support payment against Kim starting in 2020. Despite receiving a detention order from the court in 2022 because Kim failed to pay child support, he did not pay the outstanding 80.1 million won even after one year passed, leading to this indictment.

Subsequently, the Prosecutors' Office requested a four-month prison sentence for Kim. The Suwon District Court Criminal Division 14 (single judge), which handled the first instance, sentenced Kim to six months in prison in December 2025 on charges of violating the Act on the Securing and Supporting Child Support. However, the court stated, "Rather than detaining the defendant immediately, it appears more appropriate to compel the payment of unpaid child support within a certain period to protect the minor children," and thus did not detain Kim in court.

The court ruled, "When the defendant divorced his spouse in 2018, he was ordered to pay 3 million won per month for his two minor children but only paid part of it. The child support amount was reduced to 1.6 million won at his request. After a detention order was issued following his ex-spouse's request, he paid some of the unpaid child support, but has not paid any child support for approximately three years and ten months since then."

The court further stated, "It appears that the total amount of unpaid child support is quite significant up to the time of this verdict. Considering the defendant's age, career, health, and the reduced child support amount, there does not appear to be a legitimate reason for failing to pay child support. It seems the defendant prioritizes maintaining his own standard of living over paying child support to his children, and he has only mentioned vague payment plans so far, raising doubts about whether he has any realistic intention to fulfill them."

The court added, "Considering that the ex-spouse is requesting a severe punishment, a prison sentence commensurate with the guilt is necessary. Although the defendant will not be detained in court, he may serve time if he fails to meet his payment obligations even through the appeal stage."

However, Kim appealed against the first-instance verdict, and his former wife submitted a petition to the court, urging severe punishment for Kim.

During the subsequent closing arguments, Kim's lawyer stated in his final defense, "The defendant sincerely regrets not being able to pay child support. He has been preparing to repay by working as a day laborer before the sentencing date, so we ask for leniency." Kim also made a final statement through which he said, "I did not intentionally withhold child support; I was unable to work, causing significant arrears in child support payments. Even if it takes time, I will strive to take responsibility and pay the backlogged child support by working as a day laborer."

The Prosecutors' Office requested the court to dismiss Kim's appeal.

Meanwhile, Kim was a star athlete who served as a short track national team member from 1995 to 2005. He won a gold medal in the 1000m and a silver medal in the 5000m relay at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. Recently, Kim also announced that he had obtained a short track coaching certification.

Kim divorced his former wife, Ms. Oh, whom he married in 2004, by mutual consent in 2018 after 14 years. Afterward, Kim appeared on TV CHOSUN's "We Divorced" in 2021 with a woman named Inmin-jeong whom he met after the divorce, and later announced his marriage registration in May 2021.

Kim's personal information was publicly disclosed on the Bad Fathers website in 2020, and in December 2022, his name was added to the list of child support defaulters published by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

Regarding this, Kim stated, "I have never evaded my responsibility for raising my children. At the time of the initial divorce, I agreed to pay 3 million won per month in child support according to the other party's request, and even after the divorce, I have shouldered various costs including car rental fees and living expenses in addition to child support. However, significant debt accumulated during this process, and as my financial situation deteriorated rapidly, the child support was adjusted to 1.6 million won. Nevertheless, I have continuously strived to pay it."

He continued, "Whenever a TV appearance was confirmed or coaching work began, media reports and interviews with his ex-spouse followed repeatedly, causing already scheduled appearances to be cancelled or ongoing professional activities to be interrupted. Ultimately, the livelihood foundation he maintained collapsed, making it realistically difficult to pay child support. Since I lacked specialized skills or job experience, finding new employment was not easy. The only option available during that process was day labor."

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*This content was translated by AI.