The new “First Lady of South Korea” Kim Hye-kyung

At 6:00 a.m. local time on June 4, the Central Election Commission of South Korea held a plenary meeting and voted to pass the resolution on the results of the general election. According to the results of the general election, Lee Jae-myung, the candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, was officially confirmed as the president-elect, and Lee Jae-myung’s wife Kim Hye-kyung also became the new “First Lady of South Korea”.

According to South Korean media, Kim Hye-kyung, 58, was born in a middle-class family with three children, and she is the eldest daughter. Kim Hye-kyung graduated from the piano department of Sookmyung Women’s University and later became a piano teacher. In 1990, Kim Hye-kyung, who was preparing to go to Austria for further studies, met Lee Jae-myung, who had become a lawyer, under the introduction of Lee Jae-myung’s family.

“He is not particularly handsome, and even looks a little old.” In an interview in 2017, Kim Hye-kyung recalled her first impression of Lee Jae-myung. It is reported that Lee Jae-myung “fell in love at first sight” with Kim Hye-kyung. “When we met for the fourth time, he proposed to me, but I refused at the time.” Kim Hye-kyung said. It is reported that after reading the diary written by Lee Jae-myung, Kim Hye-kyung was deeply moved and decided to marry him. Lee Jae-myung also said that he did not use a diamond ring to propose, but a diary he had been writing since he was 13 years old.

The two got married in 1991 and had two sons after marriage. It is reported that Lee Jae-myung lived in poverty in his early years. When the two got married, Lee’s mother only gave Kim Hye-kyung a spoon and told her: “This is all I can give you now.” Kim Hye-kyung still keeps the spoon.

In fact, Kim Hye-kyung did not support her husband’s political career at first. In 2006, when Lee Jae-myung first told his wife that he wanted to run for mayor of Seongnam, Kim Hye-kyung asked Lee Jae-myung for a divorce. According to reports, Kim Hye-kyung told Lee Jae-myung at the time: “Before you run for election, let’s apply for a divorce first.” However, as Lee Jae-myung’s political path went further and further, Kim Hye-kyung also began to focus on establishing a positive image of herself as the other half of a politician.

In 2018, Kim Hye-kyung and Lee Jae-myung appeared on a TV show together and published a cookbook, which attracted public attention and successfully created the image of a “virtuous wife who is good at cooking.” Korean media said that Kim Hye-kyung’s life has always been centered on the family.

In 2022, Kim Hye-kyung said in an interview with the media that her husband was a very calm person, “His greatest advantage is that he is calm in the face of things. Whether it is family problems or political problems, he can remain calm. He knows to focus on the present.”

However, Kim Hye-kyung is still entangled in lawsuits. According to previous reports, Kim Hye-kyung is suspected of violating the Public Office Election Act for “eating and drinking with public funds.” The Suwon High Court of South Korea made a second-instance verdict on May 12 this year, upholding the first-instance verdict and sentencing Kim Hye-kyung to a fine of 1.5 million won (about RMB 7,716). It is also reported that Kim Hye-kyung was dissatisfied with the result of the second-instance verdict and had appealed on May 16.

During the presidential election campaign, Kim Hye-kyung has tried to avoid participating in political activities and keep a low profile. She has not spoken publicly in the past three weeks. South Korean media reported that Kim Hye-kyung had previously said that if possible, she wanted to be an enthusiastic “first lady” who could be trusted by marginalized groups.