Soojin Kim, Jeonghye Bae, and Eunjung Jin... Spouses Draw as Much Attention as the Candidates [Current Affairs Show]

Buk-gap, Busan: Spouses of Ha Jung-woo, Minsik Park, and Han Dong-hoon
PhD from Seoul National University, Painter, Kim & Chang Attorney... Impressive Backgrounds
Fully Committed to Supporting Their Husbands in the Race for Victory

The most closely watched district in the June 3 by-elections is Buk-gap, Busan. Candidates Ha Jungwoo (Democratic Party of Korea), Park Minsik (People Power Party), and Han Donghoon (Independent) are locked in an all-out contest. As the candidates campaign, so do their spouses. Sometimes, the spouses draw even more attention than the candidates themselves. Let’s take a closer look at the spouses—Soojin Kim (Ha Jungwoo), Jeonghye Bae (Park Minsik), and Eunjung Jin (Han Donghoon)—who are fully supporting their partners on the campaign trail.

Soojin Kim, Ha Jungwoo's spouse: Three years younger, but his senior in the lab

Soojin Kim, spouse of Democratic Party candidate Ha Jungwoo, is three years younger than Ha. She earned a Ph.D. in bioinformatics at Seoul National University Graduate School and was working in a laboratory when she first met Ha, who had just joined the lab after graduating from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University Graduate School. In terms of lab experience, Kim was Ha’s senior by one year. Although their research fields were slightly different, as both had a background in artificial intelligence, they often collaborated. Working and collaborating in the close quarters of a lab naturally brought them closer. They started getting to know each other over fried chicken and beer after work. They married in 2015 and now have a son who is currently in the fourth grade of elementary school.

Candidate Ha Jung-woo (right) first met his spouse Soo-jin Kim at a Seoul National University laboratory. Photo by Ha Jung-woo SNS

Kim has taught subjects such as computing and artificial intelligence teaching methodologies to prospective elementary school teachers at Seoul National University of Education. In an interview with , Ha recalled how he persuaded Kim when he decided to enter politics, telling her, “Even if good policies and strategies are created in the Blue House, laws, systems, and practical implementation are needed to make them a reality. That’s why I need to become a member of the National Assembly. I believe I can do it well.”

Kim described her husband, Ha, as follows: “He is someone who learns extremely quickly. He takes a critical perspective, but he never hesitates and always views things positively and embraces them swiftly. He has a positive, open-minded attitude, leadership, and never loses his focus.” When did Kim leave a lasting impression on Ha? One day, Kim said, ‘Working in the lab all the time, I feel physically and mentally drained, so I’m going to start running from tomorrow.’ From the next day, she ran 10 laps around a 400-meter track at a steady pace. Ha thought she would give up soon, but seeing her stick with it made him see her in a new light. Ha usually addresses Kim as “Soojin-ah,” though in public he calls her “Dr. Kim.” Kim typically calls Ha “oppa” (“older brother,” a term of endearment in Korean). At home, Ha is responsible for sorting recyclables and taking out the food waste.

Jeonghye Bae, Park Minsik's spouse: A 'substitute' meeting led to marriage within a year

Jeonghye Bae, spouse of People Power Party candidate Park Minsik, is a painter. She first met Park while attending graduate school at Hongik University, in June 1995. After dating for about a year, they married and now have a son and a daughter. Their first meeting was quite interesting: Bae was originally supposed to have a blind date with Park’s older brother, but when his brother couldn’t make it, Park went in his place. This chance meeting eventually led to marriage.

Candidate Min-sik Park (right) met his spouse Jeong-hye Bae in 1995 and married within a year. Photo by Min-sik Park SNS

At the time, Park was a trainee at the Judicial Research and Training Institute and was working as a prosecutor in Busan. For Park, who had focused solely on legal studies, Bae—who came from a completely different world—was a refreshing presence. Their conversations sparked his curiosity and attraction. They dated long-distance between Seoul and Busan and often went hiking together. Bae recalls, “During our courtship, I don’t remember going to fancy places to eat. What I remember is having ssambap or noodles after coming down from a hike.”

When Park was a member of the National Assembly, he displayed one of Bae’s paintings in his parliamentary office. However, when Park first ran for the National Assembly, Bae strongly opposed the decision, even crying and protesting. She didn’t even go to Busan at first, but changed her mind after seeing her mother-in-law campaigning for Park on the streets in the cold winter rain, handing out business cards under an umbrella. Thinking, “If my mother-in-law can do it…,” she immediately went down to Busan and started helping with the campaign. Now, as a seasoned political spouse, Bae is campaigning harder than anyone alongside Park.

Candidate Han Dong-hoon (left) is one year senior to his spouse Jin Eun-jung in high school and university. Photo by Han Dong-hoon SNS

Eunjung Jin, spouse of candidate Han Donghoon, was born in 1975 and is a member of the Punggi Jin family. She is two years younger than Han (born in 1973), but they were one year apart in school. Both graduated from Hyundai High School in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, as well as Seoul National University School of Law and Columbia Law School in the United States. They first met at a high school alumni gathering while attending Seoul National University. They married in 2002 when Han was a prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, with their mentor, Professor Sanghyun Song, Professor Emeritus at Seoul National University School of Law, officiating the ceremony. They have a daughter born in 2005 and a son born in 2009.

Eunjung Jin, Han Donghoon's spouse: Once more famous than her husband as the “Law School Queen”

While attending Seoul National University, Jin was reportedly more famous than Han. According to , Jin was known as the “Law School Queen” and was a popular figure among male students. Some students would even check her schedule to take the same classes as her. In contrast, Han was said to be rather reserved. After graduating from Seoul National University, Jin worked at global accounting firms such as KPMG, studied abroad in the United States, and joined the law firm Barun in 2006. She moved to Kim & Chang in 2009, where she was known to have worked as a lawyer specializing in environmental, labor, and HR-related fields. After reporting her transfer of residence to Mandeok-dong, Buk-gu, on May 7, she has been enthusiastically supporting Han’s campaign, even dressing up as “Buk-gu Bear” and dancing.

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Jin’s father, Hyunggu Jin, is a former chief prosecutor who graduated from Seoul National University College of Engineering and passed the bar exam. In 1999, while serving as Head of the Public Security Department at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, he resigned due to the 1999 Korea Mint Corporation strike inducement incident. Jin’s younger brother, Donggyun Jin, also left the prosecution after being involved in a sexual harassment case involving a junior female prosecutor. Jin is also known to have an older sister who currently resides in the United States.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.