✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › Moon Jae-in

Moon Jae-in photo for featured biography, wiki and celebrities profileFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Celebrities

Moon Jae-in Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 6, 2026 • 3 min read

Request CorrectionClaim Profile

Quick Info

Date of birth24 January 1953

Age67 Years

BirthplaceGeoje, South Korea

ProfessionPolitician

NationalitySouth Korean

Marital statusMarried

SpouseKim Jeong-suk

FamilyOne son and one daughter

Moon Jae-in Biography

Moon Jae-in is a South Korean politician who served as the 12th President of South Korea. A former human-rights lawyer and long-time ally of Roh Moo-hyun,

Early life and background

Moon Jae-in was born on 24 January 1953 in Geoje, South Korea. He was the eldest of five children. His father, Moon Yong-hyung, came to Geoje as a refugee from what is now North Korea and worked as a laborer. The family later settled in Busan, where Moon attended Kyungnam High School.

He studied law at Kyung Hee University in Seoul. During his university years he became active in student politics; involvement in protests against the Yushin Constitution led to his arrest and expulsion from the university. After completing his military service, which included participation in a mission during the Axe murder incident, Moon returned to legal studies and passed the bar exam, placing second. Because of his past political activities he was not permitted to become a judge or government prosecutor, and he instead pursued a career as a lawyer.

Career

Moon built his legal career focused on civil rights and human-rights cases. He worked closely with Roh Moo-hyun, who later became president, and the two developed a close friendship. Moon became active in legal civil-society work, serving in roles such as chairman of human-rights committees at the Busan Bar and joining the Minbyun lawyers’ group. He was also a founding member of the newspaper The Hankyoreh in 1988.

Although he had not been deeply involved in party politics for much of his early career, Moon moved into electoral politics in the 2010s. He joined the Democratic Party of Korea in 2012 and that year won a parliamentary seat in the Sasang District of Busan as a member of the Democratic United Party. He became that party’s presidential nominee in 2012 and ran in the national election, losing that year.

Following continued political activity, Moon was elected leader of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy on 2 February 2015. He again contested the presidency in May 2017 and won the election. On 10 May 2017 he was sworn in as the 12th President of South Korea after receiving 41.1% of the vote, amounting to 13,423,800 votes.

As president, Moon spoke in favor of pursuing peaceful reunification between South and North Korea. In April 2020 his ruling party won a large victory in national assembly elections, an outcome that was widely viewed as public approval of his administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Public profile

Moon is a member of the Democratic Party of Korea and has been identified as a political rival of Park Geun-hye. He is known publicly for his background as a human-rights lawyer and his ties to Roh Moo-hyun. His published memoir, Moon Jae-in: The Destiny, was released in 2011 and became a bestseller, helping raise his public profile ahead of his full-scale entry into electoral politics.

Personal life

Moon Jae-in is married to Kim Jeong-suk, a vocalist. The couple have two children, a son and a daughter. He practices Roman Catholicism and lists reading and traveling among his personal interests. Physical details reported include a height of approximately 168 cm (about 5'6") and hazel eyes.

Latest updates

After assuming the presidency in 2017, Moon continued to emphasize engagement on the Korean Peninsula and oversaw domestic responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020 his party’s decisive win in parliamentary elections was interpreted as an endorsement of his leadership during that crisis.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Moon Jae-in, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

Accuracy

Request a Correction

Tell us what needs to be updated and share a reliable source so the editorial team can review it.

Ownership

Claim This Profile

If this profile is about you or your client, send your contact details and verification context.

◈

Recent Work

12th President of South Korea

Served as President after winning the May 2017 election and being sworn in on 10 May 2017.

2017
Ruling party victory in national assembly elections

In April 2020 Moon's ruling party registered a landslide win widely seen as support for his pandemic response.

2020
✦

Career Highlights

  1. Passed the bar exam, placing second
  2. Founding member of The Hankyoreh newspaper (1988)
  3. Elected to the National Assembly for Sasang District, Busan (2012)
  4. Democratic United Party presidential nominee (2012)
  5. Elected leader of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (2015)
  6. Elected 12th President of South Korea (2017)
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

People Also Search For

PoliticiansCelebrities biographies
?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Moon Jae-in born?

Moon Jae-in was born on 24 January 1953.

What is Moon Jae-in known for?

Moon Jae-in is known for politician.

What is Moon Jae-in’s marital status?

Moon Jae-in's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Moon Jae-in married to?

Moon Jae-in is publicly listed as married to Kim Jeong-suk.