Actress Shin Eun-kyung , known for her acclaimed role in Penthouse , was seen breaking down in tears at the recent funeral of her former mother-in-law, despite their estranged relationship. In mid-July, Shin quietly paid her respects at a funeral hall at Asan Medical Center in Seoul’s Songpa-gu district after learning that her ex-mother-in-law had passed away at the age of 97 due to natural causes. The late woman had played a significant role in raising Shin’s only son, who has a developmental disability.
Although the relationship between Shin and her ex-husband Kim Jung-soo ended in 2007, insiders say the actress visited the wake out of “deep gratitude and remorse.” One entertainment source revealed, “Despite the years and silence, she stayed at the funeral for a long time, quietly mourning and reminiscing with old acquaintances. She cried several times during her visit.”
Another insider noted that the moment marked an emotional first reunion with her ex-husband in over a decade. “Seeing her frail ex-husband and the coffin of the woman who raised their child likely stirred overwhelming emotions—gratitude, guilt, and grief.”
Shin married Kim Jung-soo, a film producer and CEO of her then-agency, in 2003, but they divorced just four years later amid financial hardship and personal difficulties. Though contact between the former couple dwindled, they were said to keep tabs on each other through mutual acquaintances.
In 2021, Kim Jung-soo was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the Lime Asset Management scandal. The court acknowledged his responsibilities as a caretaker for his elderly mother and special-needs son in reducing his original six-year sentence. He was released on July 5, just weeks before the funeral.
A close source shared that upon seeing Kim’s weakened state, Shin could no longer hold back her emotions and burst into tears upon leaving the ceremony. The scene was described as deeply moving—a moment of raw humanity between two former spouses linked forever by a shared past and their son’s future.
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