Hyundai Family's Favorite Wedding Hall... Lydia Ko's Wedding March at Myeongdong Cathedral

Lydia Ko and Jung Tae-young Hyundai Card Vice Chairman's Only Son Jung Joon, Devout Catholic
2016 Jung Mong-gu Hyundai Motor Chairman's Grandson and Granddaughter Married at Myeongdong Cathedral
Only 500 Invited... Lee Min-ji, No Ye-rim, Daniel Kang, Jutanugarn Sisters All Attended
Hahm Young-joo Hana Financial Group Chairman Also Present, Jung Tae-young Vice Chairman Says "Like In-laws"

World No. 1 Lydia Ko and Jung Joon, the only son of Jung Tae-young, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Card, will get married on the 30th at Myeongdong Cathedral.

[Asia Economy Reporter Nowrae Noh] Lydia Ko (New Zealand), the world No. 1 female golfer, is becoming a "taken woman."

Lydia Ko will marry Jung Joon, the only son of Jung Tae-young, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Card, on the 30th at Myeongdong Cathedral in Jung-gu, Seoul. The choice of Myeongdong Cathedral as the wedding venue has attracted attention. Lydia Ko and Jung Joon are known to be devout Catholics. Lydia is also her baptismal name.

The "Hyundai family" prefers Myeongdong Cathedral. In April 2016, Jung Dong-wook, the grandson of Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-koo of Hyundai Motor Group (and son of Jung Sung-yi, advisor at Innocean), held his wedding at Myeongdong Cathedral with Chae Soo-yeon, daughter of Chae Hyung-seok, Executive Vice Chairman and eldest son of Jang Young-shin, Chairman of Aekyung Group. In November of the same year, Sun Ah-young, daughter of advisor Jung Sung-yi, married Gil Sung-jin, son of actor Gil Yong-woo, also at Myeongdong Cathedral.

In July 2020, Jung Ki-sun, eldest son of Chung Mong-joon, Chairman of Asan Foundation, was scheduled to marry Jung Hyun-sun at Myeongdong Cathedral, but due to COVID-19, the wedding was held on a small scale at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Only 500 guests will attend Lydia Ko’s wedding. Many of Lydia Ko’s close friends from the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour will come as congratulatory envoys. Minjee Lee (Australia), winner of the major U.S. Women’s Open, along with Danielle Kang, No Ye-rim (both from the U.S.), and sisters Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn (Thailand) will visit Korea for Lydia Ko’s wedding. Players active on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour will also attend.

In the financial sector, Han Young-joo, Chairman of Hana Financial Group, will make an appearance. Vice Chairman Jung Tae-young reportedly wanted him to attend, saying, "The chairman is practically family-in-law." Hana Financial Group has a special connection with Lydia Ko. Hana Capital has been a sub-sponsor since 2020, and Hana Financial Group has been the main sponsor since this year.

Lydia Ko will start her newlywed life in the U.S. after the wedding. She will continue her professional career after marriage. Lydia Ko expressed her gratitude, saying, "I will follow the schedule next year as in other seasons as a newlywed," and "My husband and in-laws support me a lot."

Lydia Ko and Jung Joon communicated for about six months starting in the winter of 2020 before officially dating from April 2021. They grew closer while playing rounds in Florida and California, U.S.

Jung Joon majored in Philosophy and Data Science at the prestigious Claremont McKenna College in California. He earned a qualification in Interaction Design from the global UX consulting agency Nielsen Norman Group. He worked as a UX intern related to payment solutions at Hyundai Card in October 2018 and participated in an MZ generation car purchase project at Innocean’s U.S. branch, an advertising affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group. Since this year, he has been working at a Hyundai Motor affiliate in San Francisco.

Lydia Ko was born in Seoul in 1997 and immigrated to New Zealand at age six. She is a "golf prodigy" who dominated the professional stage from her amateur days. In 2012, she set the youngest winner record worldwide (14 years and 10 months) at the New South Wales Women’s Open in Australia, and in August of the same year, she set the youngest winner record on the LPGA Tour (15 years and 4 months) at the Canadian Open. She became world No. 1 at age 17. In 2015, she became the youngest major champion (18 years, 4 months, and 20 days) at the Evian Championship. She won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. She has recorded 19 wins on the LPGA Tour, including two majors.

After winning three times in the 2016 season, Lydia Ko fell into a slump. From 2017 to last year, she won only twice in five years. The psychological pressure of maintaining the top spot at a young age was significant. Lydia Ko changed her caddie, swing coach, and even golf clubs in an effort to revive her career but did not achieve the expected results. However, after falling in love with Jung Joon, she made a complete comeback. Shortly after they met, she won the Lotte Championship in April 2021, her first victory in three years.

Lydia Ko smiled and said, "He made me smile. After meeting him, I wanted to practice harder. I also enjoy my breaks more." She added, "He inspires and motivates me to become a better person and a better player."

Lydia Ko won three times this year, including the final event of the 2022 season, the CME Group Tour Championship. Jung Joon personally came to the tournament to cheer for Lydia Ko and shared the joy of her victory. Lydia Ko swept individual titles such as prize money leader, Player of the Year, scoring average, and CME Group Tour Race, marking her second prime. Now, she is just waiting for her wedding amid the blessings of those around her.