"Face Puffy and Hands Trembling"... Seeing Kim Sumi's Appearance from a Month Ago Makes One Feel Emotional

Revisiting September's Home Shopping Appearance
Unusual Behavior Sparks 'Health Concerns' Rumors

The appearance of actress Kim Sumi who appeared on a home shopping broadcast last September. [Photo source=Online community archive]

The sudden news of the passing of actress Kim Sumi (75) has brought renewed attention to the recent rumors about her health issues.

Kim Sumi was hospitalized at Hanyang University Hospital in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, in May and July due to fatigue accumulation, temporarily halting her activities, which sparked speculation about her health. In particular, her appearance on a home shopping broadcast last September, where she showed a swollen face and slurred speech, different from before, reignited concerns about her deteriorating health.

At that time, Kim Sumi appeared on the home shopping broadcast with a swollen face, showing subtle hand tremors and shortness of breath, displaying unusual behavior. One netizen who saw this commented, “Her face looks swollen, her hands are shaking, and her speech is slow. She can’t even tear the kimchi completely,” expressing concern about her health. Another netizen responded, “The hand tremors and slurred speech seem strange. It would be good for her to visit a hospital.”

As the suspicions spread, Jung Myungho, director of Napalkkot F&B and Kim Sumi’s son, stated to the media, “She is healthy without any major issues.” He added, “The footage was recorded after an all-nighter. Since it was just before Chuseok and the filming had to be done urgently, she appeared to be in poor condition. Given her age, staying up all night seems to have been a strain.” Kim Sumi herself explained, “My speech was slurred on the home shopping broadcast because I was wearing dental implants.”

According to the Seocho Police Station in Seoul, Kim Sumi suffered cardiac arrest around 8 a.m. on the 25th and was transported to Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital in Seocho-gu, where she was pronounced dead.

The funeral will be held at Hanyang University Hospital. The bereaved family includes her son, businessman Jung Myungho, and her daughter-in-law, actress Seo Hyorim.