The Truth Behind Kim Shin-hye's Release After 25 Years in Prison

On February 1, SBS's investigative program '그것이 알고 싶다' (I Want to Know That) features Kim Shin-hye, who was released after 25 years in prison following a not guilty verdict in her retrial.

Reflecting on her long incarceration, Kim stated, "I often wondered if it really had to take decades for this to happen." At just 22 years old, she was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of her father, Kim Jae-hoon. On January 6, she was acquitted in a retrial, marking her return to society at the age of 47. Her case was previously highlighted in a 2014 episode of 'I Want to Know That.'

The circumstances surrounding her father's death on March 7, 2000, remain controversial. His body was discovered at a bus stop in Wando, Jeollanam-do, showing no signs of external injury but revealing high levels of a sleep-inducing drug, zolpidem, in his system. The location of the body, far from his home, raised suspicions that it was a staged accident.

Police arrested Kim Shin-hye two days later, suspecting her involvement due to her unclear whereabouts that night and a notebook found at her home detailing a plan to kill her father using alcohol and sleeping pills, disguising it as an accident.

The investigation faced criticism, with claims that Kim was coerced into confessing. Her lawyer, Park Jun-young, argues that the police conducted a shoddy investigation and pressured her into a false confession. Throughout her imprisonment, Kim maintained her innocence, insisting she did not kill her father.

After her release, Kim's behavior raised eyebrows when she suddenly left her brother's home in Wando, taking a taxi to Seoul. What prompted this unexpected move? What is she experiencing now?

'I Want to Know That' airs on February 1 at 11:10 PM, shedding light on Kim Shin-hye's story and the events of that fateful day.