Son Myung-soon

Lee was born in South Gyeongsang Province on 29 January 1929 during the Japanese occupation of Korea to Sang-ho and Geunyi Kim. She had two sisters who died early and her birth mother died on 1935. Her father later remarried to Gam Deok-soon, and had two more sons and six more daughters. Her father Sang-ho ran the largest rubber factory in Yeongnam and was called the 'Masan chaebol'.

Son graduated from Jin Young Daechang Elementary School in Gimhae-si, Gyeongsangnam-do and Masan Girls' High School in Changwon. She later attended Ewha Womans University, where she took course in Pharmacy and married Kim Young-sam in 1951. During her third year in Ewha, a new rule was established, which prohibited marriage of enrolled students. However, with the help of others, even after giving birth to her first child, she kept her marriage secret until graduation and was able to finish her studies.

On December 18, 1992, Kim Young-sam was elected President of South Korea. And when he took office as president on February 24, 1993, Son Myung-soon began working as First Lady of South Korea. As First Lady, she helped to build a restaurant or lounge in Blue House for attendants, drivers, and female employees. Son was praised for being a quiet helper and for emphasizing the traditional role of women.