First lady Kim Yoon-ok will be guiding visiting first ladies of the Group of 20 nations this week through Korea’s cultural heritage from art and royal palaces to delicacies.

Kim herself is celebrated for her culinary skills, as shown in her 2009 interview with CNN during which she cooked Korean traditional cuisine.

In October last year, Kim demonstrated making kimchi before then Japanese first lady Miyuki Hatoyama, who was known to be a big fan of Korean cuisine, when she accompanied the Japanese prime minister to Seoul.

Kim serves as the honorary chair of the Korean Food Globalization Foundation set up early this year with plans to develop internationally enjoyable menus and support restaurant businesses that endeavor to promote “Hansik” overseas.

During the G20 summit, she plans to give out her own cookbook as gifts to the guests.

Although the first lady limits her role to promoting culture, arts and philanthropy, she is well known for her proactive and outgoing personality.

Unlike her husband, Kim grew up in an affluent family. Her father worked in the national tobacco company and later ran a construction company.

Born in 1947, Kim grew up in Daegu, South Gyeongsang Province, until she went to Ewha Womans University in Seoul in 1966 to study health education.

She met her future husband in 1970 through her eldest brother and his friend who was Lee’s teacher from high school. Lee was then director at Hyundai Engineering & Construction.

Lee, who was involved in the construction of the Gyeongbu highway linking Seoul and Busan at the time, was often late for his date with Kim, the first lady later recalled.

The couple got married later that year on Lee’s birthday on Dec. 19.

Lee was elected president on Dec. 19, 2007, making the day the most special anniversary for the couple.

Lee and Kim have three daughters, a son and six grandchildren. The couple are devout protestants.

Kim has great interest in education, welfare, culture and the arts. She has engaged in extensive volunteer work for the homeless, sick children and refugees from North Korea.

She has also been a strong advisor to her husband. It has been widely reported that Kim warned her husband never to fight with Rep. Park Geun-hye, Lee’s rival in the race for party candidacy in the presidential elections in 2007.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)