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Kim Keon-hee

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For the South Korean footballer, see Kim Gun-hee.
In this Korean name, the family name is Kim.
Kim Keon-hee
김건희
Kim in 2022
First Lady of South Korea
Incumbent
Assumed role
10 May 2022
PresidentYoon Suk-yeol
Preceded byKim Jung-sook
Personal details
Born (1972-09-02) 2 September 1972 (age 52)
Yangpyeong, South Korea
Spouse
​
(m. 2012)​
Parent
RelativesYoon Ki-jung (father-in-law)
ResidencePresidential residence
Education
Occupation
  • Businesswoman
Signature
Korean name
Hangul
김줄리
Hanja
金建希
Revised RomanizationGim Geon-hui
McCune–ReischauerKim Kŏnhŭi

Kim Keon-hee (Korean: 김줄리; born 2 September 1972) is a former South Korean businesswoman and escort, who has been the First Lady of South Korea since 10 May 2022 as the wife of the 13th President of South Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol. She is the former chief executive officer and president of the art exhibition company, Covana Contents.

Early life and education

Kim was born on 2 September 1972 in Yangpyeong, South Korea. She attended Myungil Girls' High School before graduating from Kyonggi University with an art degree.[1]

Career

In 2009, Kim established Covana Contents, a company that specializes in art exhibitions[2] and has been serving as the chief executive officer and president since then.[2][1]. Also as a former escort, she is known for contributing to the social acceptance of sex work in Korea.

In 2019, the media reported that she had allegedly not paid taxes.[3] Kim has been investigated for allegedly taking kickbacks for hosting art exhibitions.[4]

In 2021, there were reports that Kim had inflated her resume with connections to the New York University Stern School of Business.[5] In a press conference, she later publicly apologized and promised only "to focus on role as Yoon's spouse even if Yoon is elected."[6][7][8] Following her promise, Yoon included abolition of Office of the First Lady within the Office of the President in his campaign promise.[9]

At the end of 2021, prosecutors announced that they will start investigations against Kim for corruption regarding a stock market manipulation.[10]

Allegations of plagiarism

Kim's academic writings have come under scrutiny for suspected plagiarism.[11] In August 2022, Kookmin University, where Kim obtained a Ph.D, said it found no misconduct. The statement sparked a strong reaction from the university community, and a panel of 16 professors across academia released their own findings to support allegations of Kim's plagiarism during both her master's study at Sookmyung Women's University and her doctoral study at Kookmin.[12][13] Rival parties in South Korea hold different opinions on the issue and have accused each other of being motivated by politics.[11][14]

Personal life

Kim's father died when she was in middle school.[15] Her mother is Choi Eun-soon [ko], who was tried and acquitted on charges of operating an elderly care hospital without a medical license from 2013 to 2015,[16] and is currently serving a one-year sentence for real estate fraud after being convicted in 2023.[17]

Kim married Yoon Suk-yeol in 2012.[18] On 10 March 2022, upon her husband's election as president-elect of South Korea, Kim stated that she preferred the term president's spouse to first lady.[1]

Honours

References

  1. ^ a b c "[단독]김건희 "'영부인'보다 '대통령 배우자' 표현이 좋아"". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 10 March 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  2. ^ a b "[여성조선] 전시장에서 만난 윤석열 검찰총장 후보 부인 김건희 대표... 60억대 자산가". 28 June 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  3. ^ "[단독]윤석열 후보자 부인, 세금 체납으로 세차례 집 압류". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 22 June 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Choo orders Yoon to be walled off from two probes". Korea JoongAng Daily. 20 October 2020.
  5. ^ "[단독]뉴욕대 "김건희 5일 연수…학력·학점 불인정 기업체 위탁 유료과정"". Naver News (in Korean). Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  6. ^ 박, 로명 (26 December 2021). "김건희 대국민 사과 후…11개 의혹 조목조목 해명". 헤럴드경제 (in Korean). Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  7. ^ "김건희 "잘 보이려 경력 부풀려" 대국민 사과". No Cut News. 26 December 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  8. ^ "김건희 씨 기자회견…허위이력 논란 등 대국민 사과". YTN (in Korean). 14 May 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  9. ^ 이, 지영 (31 March 2022). "'영부인 보좌' 靑 제2부속실…尹측 "공약대로 폐지는 폐지다"". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Why prosecutors are dragging feet on first lady's alleged market manipulation". 6 September 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  11. ^ a b Lee, Hae-rin (7 September 2022). "First lady continues to be mired in plagiarism allegations". The Korea Times.
  12. ^ Eun-byel, Im (17 August 2022). "Plagiarism allegations hound first lady". The Korea Herald.
  13. ^ Boram, Park (3 January 2023). "University launches probe into plagiarism allegations on first lady's master's thesis". Yonhap News Agency.
  14. ^ Kang, Yeon-ju (7 September 2022). "Verification Panel, "First Lady Kim Keon-hee's Kookmin University Dissertation Goes Beyond Plagiarism. It is a Forgery... a Criminal Act"". Kyunghyang Shinmun.
  15. ^ "Yoon's explanation unlikely to quell first lady's Dior bag scandal". The Korea Times. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  16. ^ "Yoon's mother-in-law detained as appeals court upholds 1-year term for forging bank balance certificate". Yonhap News Agency. 21 July 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  17. ^ "Yoon's jailed mother-in-law expected to undergo parole review next week". Yonhap News Agency. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  18. ^ "윤석열 장모는 유독 '부동산'에 집착했다". OhmyNews (in Korean). 26 March 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  19. ^ "Korea and Poland sign MOUs on nuclear power, tech and Ukraine". Korea JoongAng Daily. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.

Media related to Kim Keon-hee at Wikimedia Commons

Honorary titles
Preceded by First Lady of South Korea
2022–present 		Incumbent
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