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First Lady of South Korea

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First Lady of the Republic of Korea
대한민국 대통령 영부인
Incumbent
Kim Keon-hee
since 10 May 2022
ResidencePresidential residence
Inaugural holderFranziska Donner
Formation24 July 1948 (72 years ago)
Unofficial namesFirst Lady of South Korea
Websitewww.president.go.kr

The first lady of the Republic of Korea (Korean대한민국 대통령 영부인; Hanja大韓民國 大統領 令夫人; RRdaehanmingug daetonglyeong yeongbu-in), commonly known as the first lady of South Korea, is the title held by the hostess of the presidential residence, usually the wife of the president of South Korea.

The current first lady is Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been in office since 10 May 2022.

History

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During the administration of President Park Chung Hee, the first lady Yuk Young-soo was killed. Afterwards, Park's daughter, Park Geun-hye, assumed the duties of first lady after her mother.[1]

Park Geun-hye later became president herself, making her the first and only female president of South Korea, However, as she was never married while in office, there has yet to be a first gentleman of Korea.[2]

List of first ladies of the Republic of Korea

[edit]
President
No.
Picture Name Tenure Age at the start of tenure President
(Husband, unless noted)
1 Franziska Donner
(프란체스카 도너)
Birth country: Austria-Hungary
June 15, 1900 – March 19, 1992 (aged 91)
August 15, 1948

April 26, 1960
48 years, 61 days Syngman Rhee
m. October 8, 1934
2
3
4 Gong Deok-gwi
(공덕귀 / 孔德貴)
April 21, 1911 – November 24, 1997 (aged 86)
August 13, 1960

March 23, 1962
49 years, 114 days Yun Posun
m. January 6, 1949
5 Yuk Young-soo
(육영수 / 陸英修)
November 29, 1925 – August 15, 1974 (aged 48)
December 17, 1963

August 15, 1974
38 years, 18 days Park Chung Hee
m. December 12, 1950
6
7
8
Park Geun-hye[note 1]
(박근혜 / 朴槿惠)
Born (1952-02-02) February 2, 1952 (age 72)
August 16, 1974

October 26, 1979
22 years, 195 days Park Chung Hee
(daughter)
9
10 Hong Gi
(홍기 / 洪基)
March 3, 1916 – July 20, 2004 (aged 88)
December 6, 1979

August 15, 1980
63 years, 278 days Choi Kyu-hah
m. 1935
11 Lee Soon-ja
(이순자 / 李順子)
Born (1939-03-24) March 24, 1939 (age 85)
September 1, 1980

February 24, 1988
41 years, 161 days Chun Doo-hwan
m. 1958
12
13 Kim Ok-suk
(김옥숙 / 金玉淑)
Born (1935-09-08) September 8, 1935 (age 89)
February 25, 1988

February 24, 1993
52 years, 198 days Roh Tae-woo
m. 1959
14 Son Myung-soon
(손명순 / 孫命順)
January 16, 1929 – March 7, 2024 (aged 95)
February 25, 1993

February 24, 1998
64 years, 40 days Kim Young-sam
m. 1951
15 Lee Hee-ho
(이희호 / 李姬鎬)
September 21, 1922 – June 10, 2019 (aged 96)
February 25, 1998

February 24, 2003
75 years, 157 days Kim Dae-jung
m. 1962
16 Kwon Yang-sook
(권양숙 / 權良淑)
Born (1947-12-23) December 23, 1947 (age 76)
February 25, 2003

February 24, 2008
55 years, 64 days Roh Moo-hyun
m. 1973
17 Kim Yoon-ok
(김윤옥 / 金潤玉)
Born (1947-03-26) March 26, 1947 (age 77)
February 25, 2008

February 24, 2013
60 years, 336 days Lee Myung-bak
m. December 19, 1970
18 Vacant[note 2] February 25, 2013

March 10, 2017
Park Geun-hye
19 Kim Jung-sook
(김정숙 / 金正淑)
Born (1954-11-15) November 15, 1954 (age 69)
May 10, 2017

May 9, 2022
62 years, 176 days Moon Jae-in
m. 1981
20 Kim Keon-hee
(김건희 / 金建希)
Born (1972-09-02) September 2, 1972 (age 52)
May 10, 2022

Incumbent
49 years, 250 days Yoon Suk Yeol
m. 2012

Notes

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  1. ^ Park Geun-hye is the daughter of Park Chung Hee, and took over as First Lady following the murder of her mother, Yuk Young-soo.[3]
  2. ^ The President at the time, Park Geun-hye, was single, having never married.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Carter J. Eckert, Ki-baik Lee, Young Ick Lew, Michael Robinson, and Edward W. Wagner, Korea Old and New: A History (Seoul: Ilchokak / Korea Institute, Harvard University, 1990), 377.
  2. ^ "Park Geun-hye: South Korea's first female president". BBC News. BBC. December 19, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  3. ^ "Profile: South Korean President Park Geun-hye". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved January 3, 2018. When her mother was murdered by a North Korean gunman in 1974, Ms Park served as first lady at the age of 22.
  4. ^ Phelan, Jessica (January 31, 2014). "All The Single Leaders: The world's most eligible heads of state". Public Radio International. Retrieved January 3, 2018. Park said she hasn't taken a husband because she's already married to her country...