“Married a 70-year-old former Samsung Electronics president” ... Former supermodel Kim Ja-yeon, 45, draws attention for 25-year age gap

[Financial News] Trend analyst Kim Ja-yeon, 45, who placed first in the 2003 SBS Supermodel Contest, married Young Sohn, 70, a former president of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., who is 25 years her senior. The two met as senior and junior students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), stayed in touch for two years, and held their wedding in Switzerland.
Kim Ja-yeon announced on social media (SNS) on the 1st that she had married former President Sohn. She also shared several photos taken at the wedding and spoke about meeting her life partner later in life.
She wrote on SNS, “I thought I would never get married and would live alone for the rest of my life, but after turning well over 40 and taking a long, winding road, I met the one for me.” The photos showed the couple at their wedding in Switzerland.
The couple first met two years ago. Kim Ja-yeon explained, “My husband and I first met two years ago as senior and junior students at MIT,” adding, “At first, we respected each other as seniors and juniors and naturally got to know one another.”
At first, Kim viewed former President Sohn as a respected senior who had worked internationally in technology and investment. But as they continued to meet, their understanding of each other deepened, and she said she opened her heart to his warm character and sincerity.
She explained that she was more drawn to the way her husband treated her than to his social status. Kim Ja-yeon said, “More than all those social accomplishments, my husband is a warm-hearted person who genuinely cares for and loves me and is always considerate and respectful,” adding, “He finds me very cute even though I’m tall.”
The two became a couple early this year and continued seeing each other as they traveled between the United States, South Korea and Europe. Kim Ja-yeon said that, on the basis of the trust they had built over two years, she decided to spend the rest of her life with former President Sohn.
They chose the Bürgenstock Hotel near Lake Lucerne in Switzerland as their wedding venue. The ceremony was held privately, with only family members from both sides in attendance.
Kim Ja-yeon said they chose the hotel because of their shared admiration for actor Audrey Hepburn. She said, “Our families gathered for a quiet wedding at the Bürgenstock Hotel on Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, where Audrey Hepburn, whom we both love, got married.”
She also spoke about the life they would share after marriage. Kim Ja-yeon said, “With our families’ warm blessings, we promised to spend our lives together, stay by each other’s side, and continue expanding each of our worlds together.”
Born in 1981, Kim Ja-yeon broadened her career into the international fashion industry after placing first in the 2003 SBS Supermodel Contest. She later studied at MIT in the United States and now works as a trend analyst.
Born in 1956, former President Sohn served as president and chief strategy officer (CSO) of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. He currently chairs the Samsung Semiconductor Advisory Committee and the board of Harman International. He also founded a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley.


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter