Born-Again Comedian's Wife Tells of Decades of Abuse

Seo Se-won (left) and Seo Jung-hee

The estranged wife of comedian-turned-clergyman Seo Se-won told a court on Thursday about the physical and verbal abuse she suffered at his hands for over 30 years.

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Seo has been charged with domestic violence.

Seo Jung-hee, a former model and actress, told the Seoul Central Court that on May 10 of last year the couple argued about her husband's mistress and he threatened to kill her if she demanded a divorce.

The former comedian claims that the quarrel was about his church and there was a struggle on their way home but he denies assaulting her.

Seo Jung-hee said her husband sexually assaulted her at the age of 19, so she had to marry him, and she had been his virtual prisoner for 32 years. She said she was too afraid of him to seek a divorce and had to endure because of the children.

She believed things would improve once her husband became a pastor, but he did not change, she said.