Chung Jun: Young tycoon Hyundai breaks family rules, marries famous golfer

Up to now, the big marriage story of the tycoon has always been a topic that has received special attention and attention from the media and public. On the first day of the new year 2023, the land of kimchi continued to stir before the wedding of a professional golfer with the youngest son of a tycoon.

Specifically, Lydia Ko, a New Zealand professional golfer of Korean descent, married Chung Joon, the youngest son of Chung Tae Young, vice chairman of Hyundai Capital. The wedding took place at Myeongdong Church in a luxurious and cozy atmosphere.

According to Korean media, the couple knew through mutual friends. The two gradually became closer while playing golf in Florida and California. Chung Joon started dating his girlfriend in the spring of 2021 and announced plans to hold a wedding in June 2022.

It is known that the groom Chung Joon has a handsome, tall, actor-like appearance, who attended Claremont McKenna College in California. He started working at one of the Hyundai Group companies in San Francisco, after graduating. Currently, Chung Joon is working in the company's finance department.

The professional golfer once praised her husband: "He is a source of motivation and inspiration for me to become a better player and a better person."

A love story that transcends all barriers

In the tradition of the tycoons, their children often marry into rich families, the subject of registration brings many benefits. However, Chung Joon chose a completely different life partner.

Lydia Ko does not follow the business path, on the contrary, she is a professional golfer, going "deviated" from the tycoon's daughter-in-law. However, these did not prevent the couple from coming together. Even Lydia Ko shared in the media that it was she who proposed to her husband first.

"I proposed to him and then my husband proposed to me back. He proposed to me during the engagement photo session. It was really amazing," Lydia Ko said.

For the Korean oligarch world, the growth and profitability of the conglomerate is a top concern. To put it bluntly, money comes first. Not in any cultural area in Korea, the issue of "registration" is more important in the chaebol world.

Right from the first generation of tycoons, upper-class parents have been extremely interested in narrowing the scope of their children's choice of marriage partners. The statement "chaebol must take chaebol" is absolutely correct. Korea has academies, clubs only for the descendants of the upper class. Chaebols build their own social circle, intermarriage for business purposes.

However, the youngest son of Vice Chairman of Hyundai Card (a credit card company under Hyundai Motor Group) Chung Tae-young went against the trend of chaebol families by marrying a woman. Not many subjects are registered for.

Lydia Ko was born in 1997 in Seoul (South Korea), immigrated to New Zealand at the age of 6 and naturalized this country. She is the youngest golfer to win the Women's Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournament at the age of 14. Currently, the female golfer is ranked 4th in the world.

The first time Lydia Ko was noticed by the media was when she was 7 years old, thanks to competing in the New Zealand National Amateur Championship. With a natural gift for golf, 8-year-old Lydia entered the tournament for under-19s.

In 2009, at the age of 11, she won the North Island Women's U19 Championship, ushering in a meaningful career victory. In the years that followed, Lydia gained a lot of attention for her successes and records.

At the age of 14, she made history by becoming the youngest person to win the New South Wales Open professional golf tournament. At the age of 15 years and 4 months, Lydia Ko became the youngest winner in an LPGA Tour event. This victory made her the fifth amateur to win the LPGA Tour event, and the first in over 43 years.

Before turning professional in late October 2013, Lydia Ko was the top ranked female amateur golfer in the world for 130 weeks.

In particular, Lydia Ko was ranked number 1 professional golfer in the world when she was 17 years old. At the same time becoming the youngest golfer to be ranked at number 1, regardless of male or female. That same year, she was named one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people.

In both 2014 and 2015, Lydia Ko was named on the EspnW Impact25 list of the 25 greatest athletes and influencers of women in sport.

Meanwhile, Chung Joon regularly attends and supports his wife in each stage of competition and wins glory. The couple often shares emotional pictures together on their personal pages. Their idyllic and beautiful love has received the blessings of the media and fans.

Lydia Ko and her husband are currently enjoying a married life and this golfer did not specify whether he will "retire" soon after getting married. Meanwhile, Mr. Chung Joon always accompanies and respects every decision of his wife.

In March 2022, Lydia Ko's coach Sean Foley once shared: "She's crazy in love. Her boyfriend is lovely, world-class. I couldn't be happier for her. Lydia isn't 17 anymore. Golf isn't the only thing in her life."

On the other hand, Lydia Ko's father has an opinion: "I think Lydia should get married in 2-3 years because she hasn't retired yet. However, she wants to get married soon."

Photos of Chung Jun at that time were quite rare. However, Lydia Ko once showed an emotional image with her boyfriend in August 2021, accompanied by the word "soon" (rough translation: Soon).

The Korea Herald said Chung Jun studied philosophy and data science at Claremont McKenna College in California (USA). Currently, Chung Jun works at the subsidiary office of Hyundai Motor Group in San Francisco.