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Kim Jung-sook

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For other people named Kim Jeong-suk, see Kim Jeong-suk (disambiguation).
In this Korean name, the family name is Kim.

Kim Jung-sook
김정숙
First Lady of South Korea
In role
10 May 2017 – 9 May 2022
PresidentMoon Jae-in
Preceded byChoi Ji-young (acting)
Succeeded byKim Keon-hee
Personal details
Born (1954-11-15) 15 November 1954 (age 70)[1]
Seoul, South Korea[1]
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
​
(m. 1981)​
Children2
Alma materKyung Hee University[1]
ReligionRoman Catholicism
Protestant Christian (former)
Korean name
Hangul
김정숙
Hanja
Revised RomanizationGim Jeong-suk
McCune–ReischauerKim Chŏng-suk

Kim Jung-sook (Korean: 김정숙; born 15 November 1954) is a South Korean classical singer who served as first lady of South Korea from 2017 to 2022, as the wife of the 12th president of South Korea Moon Jae-in.[2][3]

Overview

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Kim's parents ran a hanbok shop at Gwangjang market in Seoul, but later moved to Ganghwa Island. She graduated from the Sookmyung Girls' Middle and High School. Kim also holds a BA in Vocal Music at Kyung Hee University.[4][5] She was a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Chorus from 1978 to 1982.[citation needed]

Kim met her future husband, Moon, during their university years at Kyung Hee University.[6][7] Their relationship began to develop after she took care of Moon when he had been knocked out by tear gas during an anti-Park Chung Hee protest.[7] Moon and Kim married in 1981 when Moon was studying at the Judicial Research and Training Institute,[6] after Kim proposed marriage to Moon[8] in an act that was virtually unheard of in South Korea.[6]

Characterized by her "easy-going" personality, Kim has been given the nickname "Jolly Lady", widely popularised during Moon's presidential campaign in 2017.[9]

Kim became First Lady of the Republic of Korea on her husband's inauguration as President on 10 May 2017. As First Lady, she focused on members of minority groups such as people with disabilities, single-parent families and elderly people by hosting related events arranged by the Blue House. She also made commemorative speeches for cultural events and visited related facilities when accompanying her husband's official or state visit to foreign countries.[citation needed]

Pets

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While at the Blue House, Kim and Moon lived with adopted dogs and cats from their hometown of Yangsan. Among those, a dog named Maru (Korean: 마루, a Pungsan dog) and a cat named Jjing-jjing (or Jjing-Jjing-ee Korean: 찡찡 or 찡찡이).[10] They also had a dog named Tory (Korean: 토리, a mixed-breed), who was adopted from an animal shelter in contrast with other "First Dogs" who have traditionally been purebred Jindo dogs.[11] They also received pair of female and male Pungsan dogs, Gom-ee (Korean: 곰이) and Song-gang (Korean: 송강), respectively, from Pyongyang as a gift shortly after the Inter-Korean Summit in September 2018.[citation needed] Gom-ee later gave birth to six puppies San-ee, Deul-ee, Gang-ee, Byul-ee, Dal-ee and Hen-nim (Korean: 산이, 들이, 강이, 별이, 달이 and 햇님) named after the Korean words for mountain, grass field, river, star, the Moon and the Sun. On 30 August 2019, the six puppies were sent to Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon and Gwangju, leaving behind their parents at the Blue House.[12]

Honours

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National honours

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Foreign honours

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"Wardrobe scandal"

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Kim shakes hands with her husband's successor Yoon Suk-yeol after Yoon's inauguration, 10 May 2022.

Kim has been accused of abusing public funds for personal clothing and accessories. People in the conservative right wing gathered photos of Kim at domestic and international public events to examine the number, brands, and prices of her apparel and accessories. Their quantity and high price caused some to demand the Blue House (Cheong Wa Dae; the then-presidential office) reveal the payment sources. The Korea Taxpayers Association (KTA) filed two lawsuits against the Blue House, once in 2019 and again in February 2022. The Seoul Administrative Court ruled that the presidential office must disclose the prices of clothing Kim wore at official events. The Blue House, not complying with the ruling, insisted that the payment information was pertaining to national security would remain classified for at least 15 years. It added that Kim paid for her clothing with her own money.[17][18][19][20][21]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "First Lady Kim Jung-sook". Korea.net. Korean Culture and Information Service. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  2. ^ "The singer, the model and the investment banker: Meet the First Ladies (and husbands) of the G20". The Telegraph. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2018. Kim Jung-Sook is married to President Moon Jae-In. She works full time as First Lady but also has a degree in classical singing, and is a classical vocalist.
  3. ^ Hyunjoo Jin (9 May 2017). "South Korea's shy new President Moon hits the spotlight". Reuters. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  4. ^ "Kim Jung-sook: First Lady of the Republic of Korea" (PDF). Cheong Wa Dae. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Korea Has a New 1st Lady". The Chosun Ilbo. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  6. ^ a b c Chang, May Choon (22 May 2017). "South Korea's vivacious new First Lady charms the nation". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  7. ^ a b "I aim to be just myself, as I have always been: Kim Jung Sook, South Korea's new first lady". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  8. ^ Lim, Jeong-yeo (16 May 2017). "Photos of South Korean President Moon when he was younger". The Korea Herald. Herald Corporation. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  9. ^ Bak, Se-hwan (10 May 2017). "[Exclusive] First lady Kim Jung-sook vows to act as communication channel". The Korea Herald. Herald Corporation. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  10. ^ Lim, Jeong-yeo (14 May 2017). "Korea greets first-ever 'first cat'". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  11. ^ Yang, Heekyong (26 July 2017). "South Korean shelter dog basks in presidential glory as 'First Dog'". Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  12. ^ "靑, 김정은 선물한 풍산개 '곰이' 새끼 6마리 지자체에 분양" [Blue House, puppies of Gom-ee, a Pungsan dog given by Kim Jong-un as a gift sent to local governments] (in Korean).
  13. ^ "Moon sets out to self-award the Grand order of Mugunghwa". The Dong-a Ilbo. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  14. ^ "Tildelinger av ordener og medaljer". www.kongehuset.no. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  15. ^ "BOE-A-2021-9605 Real Decreto 422/2021, de 8 de junio, por el que se concede la Gran Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Civil a la señora Kim Jung-sook, Primera Dama de la República de Corea". www.boe.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  16. ^ "Open Post - South Korean State Visit to Sweden". lilibetshandbag.blog. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  17. ^ "Korea's first lady mired in wardrobe scandal". The Korea Times. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  18. ^ "Netizens ask who paid for first lady's wardrobe". Korea JoongAng Daily. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  19. ^ "Tax, spend, hide". Korea JoongAng Daily. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  20. ^ Herald, Korea (28 March 2022). "[Editorial] Absurd reason". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  21. ^ "Blue House expresses regret over first lady's clothing controversy". Korea JoongAng Daily. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
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Media related to Kim Jung-sook at Wikimedia Commons

Honorary titles
Vacant
Title last held by
Kim Yoon-ok 		First Lady of South Korea
2017–2022 		Succeeded by
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