Kim Keon Hee

Kim Keon-hee
김건희
Kim in 2024
First Lady of South Korea
In role 10 May 2022 – 4 April 2025
President	Yoon Suk Yeol
Preceded by	Kim Jung-sook
Succeeded by	Choi Ah-yong (temporarily) Kim Hye-kyung
Personal details
Born	Kim Myeong-sin (1972-09-02) 2 September 1972 (age 54) Yangpyeong County, South Korea
Spouse(s)	Yoon Suk Yeol ​ (m. 2012)​
Mother	Choi Eun-sun [ko]
Relatives	Yoon Ki-jung (father-in-law)
Residence	Presidential residence
Education	Kyonggi University (BA)
Occupation	Businesswoman
Signature
Korean name
Hangul	김건희
Hanja	金建希
Revised Romanization	Gim Geonhui
McCune–Reischauer	Kim Kŏnhŭi
Birth name
Hangul	김명신
Revised Romanization	Gim Myeongsin
McCune–Reischauer	Kim Myŏngsin

Kim Keon-hee (Hangul: 김건희; born 2 September 1972) is a South Korean businesswoman who served as the first lady of South Korea from 2022 to 2025 as the wife of Yoon Suk Yeol. Since 2009, she has been the chief executive officer and president of the art exhibition company Covana Contents.

Early life

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

Career

In 2009, Kim established Covana Contents, a company that specializes in art exhibitions. She has been the chief executive officer and president since then. In 2019, the media reported that she had allegedly not paid taxes. Kim has been investigated for allegedly taking kickbacks for hosting art exhibitions.

In 2021, there were reports that Kim had inflated her resume with connections to the New York University Stern School of Business. She later publicly apologized.

Personal life

Kim married Yoon Suk-yeol in 2012. On 10 March 2022, when her husband was elected president of South Korea, Kim said that she preferred the term first spouse to first lady.

References