TV Personality Park Jung-sook to Wed Lawmaker

Park Jung-sook (left) and Lee Jae-young

Versatile TV personality Park Jung-sook will tie the knot with newly-elected lawmaker Lee Jae-young of the ruling Saenuri Party. Lee (37) has been working as deputy director of the Asia Team at the World Economic Forum, which hosts the Davos Forum in Switzerland.

"I originally planned the wedding for between June and September, but decided to hold it sooner since I have to join the National Assembly at the end of May", Lee told the Chosun Ilbo by phone from Geneva.

The couple met at the High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan in November last year. A university senior of Lee's is said to have introduced him to Park (42). Park was at the forum at the invitation of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, which was created through assistance from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

"I met her on a work-related matter, and I was drawn to her because we both share interest in international issues", Lee said.

They became close and spoke for more than an hour each day online. The couple already had their engagement ceremony in the presence of their parents early this month. They say their age difference does not matter.

"We plan a humble ceremony at a church and invited only 50 guests from each side, including family and friends", Lee said. They will not be accepting gifts or money and decided not to exchange dowries. "My wife-to-be is a spokesperson for the Yeosu World Expo, so we're going to spend our honeymoon in Yeosu or Haenam", Lee said.