Kim Jung-sook

Kim's parents used to run a Hanbok shop at Gwangjang market in Seoul but later moved to Gwanghwa Island.

She graduated from one of nation's prestigious women's schools - Sookmyung Girls' Middle and High School.

Kim holds a BA in Vocal Music at Kyung Hee University.[4][5] She was a member of Seoul Metropolitan Chorus between 1978 and 1982.

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 who was then knocked out by tear gas during an anti-Park Chung-hee protest.[7] Moon and Kim married in 1981 when Moon was studying at 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]

Due to 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 focuses on minorities in society, such as people with disabilities, single-parent families and elderly people, by hosting related events arranged by the Blue House, making commemorative speeches for related cultural events and visiting related facilities when accompanying her husband's official or state visit to foreign countries.

Kim and Moon live with adopted dogs and cats from their home in Yangsan and to now Blue House. At their house in Yangsan they lived with several dogs and cats who were all once abandoned by their previous guardians. Among those, a dog Maru (Korean: 마루, a Pungsan dog) and a cat Jjing-jjing (or Jjing-Jjing-ee Korean: 찡찡 or 찡찡이) have been confirmed to live with them at the Blue House either by the media or its official social media posts.[10] After coming to the Blue House, a dog Tory (Korean: 토리, a mixed-breed) was adopted from an animal shelter in contrast with other "First Dogs" who have traditionally been purebred Jindo dogs.[11][12] They also received a pair of Pungsan dogs male Song-gang (Korean: 송강) and female Gom-ee (Korean: 곰이) from Pyongyang as a gift shortly after Inter-Korean Summit in September 2018. 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 Korean words for parts of nature - a mountain, grass field, a river, a star, the Moon and the Sun. On 30 August 2019, six puppies have been sent to Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon and Gwangju leaving their parents at the Blue House.[13] They now live with at least four dogs and a cat at the Blue House.

Kim is accused of abusing public funds for clothing and accsessories, which is called a "wardrobe scandal.", that later proven to be false created. the presidential office said that recent rumors that Kim used special activity expenses to buy costumes and accessories for herself were “groundless assertions,” saying only “personal expenses” were used for purchases. The office added Kim’s clothes sponsored for overseas visits and international events were “donated or returned.” The Times report said that the most controversial thing Kim wore was a leopard-shaped silver brooch.

It was seen in a 2018 photo, in which she was posing for a selfie with a female Indian student in South Korea during an Indian movie screening event.

Some have identified the brooch as a product of high-end luxury brand Cartier, worth 200 million won (US$164,000).

However, an associate of Cartier Korea said on Tuesday that the brooch was not one of their products.

Cheong Wa Dae also said that the brooch had a different design from Cartier but the explanations led to more questions such as whether Kim had worn an imitation Cartier brooch.

Tak replied that not all leopard-shaped brooches were imitations of a specific product and that she had worn it as a gesture of courtesy towards Indian visitors at the theater.

"To Indians, the tiger is a special animal. Kim tried to express that notion in her choice of outfits, and the closest item she could find was that brooch she owned," he said.

Ko Min-jung, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said the allegations on Kim's wardrobe were an obvious dirty trick to smear Cheong Wa Dae's morality.

"There was a huge controversy at the end of the Park Geun-hye administration about the former president using Cheong Wa Dae's special activities fund for her personal affairs," Ko said.