Son Myung-soon, former President Kim Young-sam’s widow, passed away on Thursday, March 7, 2024, at the age of 96.
Local reports said that late in the afternoon while receiving treatment at Seoul National University Hospital, the former first lady passed away from a persistent illness.
Kim was the 14th president of Korea (1993–1998), and Son was his widow. 2015 saw Kim’s death at the age of 88.
As the devoted spouse of the long-serving opposition leader, Son was known to have supported her husband after they were married in 1951.
Given that decades of military rule in Korea were officially ended by his election to the presidency, Kim is a legendary figure in the pro-democracy struggle in Korea. Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, his two general-turned-predecessors, were charged with treason and mutiny following a military coup.
During the 1997–1998 Asian financial crisis, Korea was given a large international bailout under the Kim administration.
President Yoon Suk Yeol called Son a “political partner” of former President Kim and offered his sympathies for her passing.
“All of the people will remember Son’s life beautifully and with gratitude,” Yoon stated. The two sons and three daughters of the late president and first lady survive them. (Yonhap)
