[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] Inminjeong, known as the partner of former short track national team member Kim Dong-sung, recently spoke out about Kim Dong-sung’s attempted suicide. She also revealed that she is a single mom who has been raising her daughter alone after divorcing 8 years ago.
On the 6th, Inminjeong posted a lengthy message on her social media (SNS) titled "Single Mom, Custodial Parent and Non-Custodial Parent."
She said, "I am a single mom who divorced 8 years ago and have been raising my daughter alone. However, I have never received even 100,000 won in child support from my ex-husband."
She continued, "Despite that, I have not exposed my ex-husband on the website Bad Fathers for the sake of our child," adding, "I wondered, ‘Would exposing him have a positive impact on my child?’ and ‘If my ex-husband becomes socially ostracized and a dropout because of being listed on Bad Fathers, would that really be good for my child?’ With those thoughts, I worked hard on my own to earn money and raise my child no matter what."
She explained, "Mr. Kim Dong-sung has paid about 80 to 90 million won in child support over a year and a half after the divorce. Nevertheless, just because he is a public figure, he was listed on Bad Fathers and has to live with that label for life." She also revealed, "Although he may have made moral mistakes in the past, he has reflected on them and tried to live diligently as a skating coach, but eventually had to quit coaching as well," adding, "Those circumstances drove him to attempt suicide."
Inminjeong stated, "Bad Fathers is meant to punish non-custodial parents who maliciously do not pay child support despite being economically active, but labeling non-custodial parents who have no income, earnings, or assets as Bad Fathers is not reasonable in my personal opinion," and concluded, "Is the message from Bad Fathers that those who want to start working to avoid becoming Bad Fathers should have their economic activities blocked and never be freed from that label?"
Meanwhile, on the 27th of last month, Kim Dong-sung was rescued by 119 paramedics who responded to a report that he had collapsed at his home in Sanghyeon-dong, Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province. Kim, who had conflicts with his ex-wife over child support, attracted attention by appearing with his girlfriend Inminjeong on the TV Chosun entertainment program "We Got Divorced."
※ If you have difficult feelings such as depression or know family or acquaintances going through such hardships, you can receive 24-hour professional counseling at the Suicide Prevention Hotline ☎1577-0199, Hope Call ☎129, Lifeline ☎1588-9191, or Youth Hotline ☎1388.
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