Former short track speed skating star Kim Dong-sung was handed a six-month prison sentence for failing to pay child support for his two children, as his explanation collided with pushback from those around him.
On Dec. 10, the Suwon District Court’s Criminal Division 14 sentenced Kim, who had been indicted without detention on charges of violating the Act on the Enforcement of and Support for Child Support Payment, to six months in prison. He was not taken into custody immediately. Prosecutors had sought a four-month term.
The court said the unpaid amount is substantial and, even considering his career and circumstances, there was no justifiable reason for nonpayment. The judge also noted Kim has yet to present a concrete repayment plan. Still, the court decided against immediate detention, saying that forcing payment within a set period would better protect the minor children than jailing him on the spot.
After the ruling, Kim’s camp said he has never shirked his parental responsibilities. According to the statement, he initially agreed to pay 3 million won per month at the time of his divorce, which was later adjusted to 1.6 million won due to financial hardship. They argued the amount assessed exceeded court guidelines and that repeated complaints and media interviews by his ex-wife―along with certain news coverage―crippled his ability to make a living in broadcasting and coaching.
Kim also said he currently earns about 2.6 million won a month doing day labor at construction sites and has a new family to support. While he criticized coverage that zeroed in on the “nonpayment” label, he pledged to resume payments and to secure a stable income and a concrete plan.
But a different account has emerged. On Dec. 12, Pressian reported that an acquaintance, identified as A, filed a petition with the court urging a stiff penalty and disputing Kim’s claims of financial hardship. In the letter, A alleged Kim supplements his income by privately coaching youth skaters and has previously mentioned making more than 6 million won a month. A also claimed Kim sent his child with his current wife overseas multiple times, arguing his situation is not as dire as portrayed and asserting he is “just waiting it out until his two children become adults.”
Kim has not issued a fresh response to those claims.
Kim was indicted in 2019 on charges of failing, without just cause, to pay court-ordered child support to his ex-wife, who has custody of their two children. Unpaid child support confirmed during the proceedings totals about 90 million won. His name appeared on the “Bad Fathers” website in 2020 and, in 2022, on a delinquent payer list published by Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)