Yumi Hogan
South Korean-American artist and former first lady of Maryland (born 1959)
About Yumi Hogan
Born 1959. Yumi Hogan is a South Korean and American politician, artist and university teacher.
Yumi Hogan (, ; born December 25, 1959) is a Korean–American artist. She served as the first lady of Maryland as wife of Governor Larry Hogan from 2015 to 2023, and is the first Korean American first lady of a U.S. state and the first Asian American first lady in the history of Maryland.
Early life Yumi Kim was born on December 25, 1959, in Naju, South Korea. She is the youngest of eight children and grew up on a chicken farm in the rural South Jeolla Province. She immigrated to the United States with her first husband while in her twenties.
Career and education Hogan is an artist. Following encouragement from her husband, she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting degree from Maryland Institute College of Art in 2008 and a Master of Fine Arts degree from American University in 2010.
Hogan's artwork, primarily abstract landscapes in Sumi ink on Korean Hanji paper, has been shown locally and around the world. Twenty-seven of her abstract landscape paintings were featured at an art show at the Ocean City Center for the Arts in July 2017, with sales proceeds from her exhibit donated to art therapy programs for pediatric cancer patients. In late 2017, Hogan launched an art therapy program at the University of Maryland Children's Hospital via her Yumi C.A.R.E.S Foundation.
Her work was featured at an exhibition in May and June 2019 by the University of Maryland University College Arts Program, in which it was described as blending Maryland and Korean landscapes.
While First Lady of Maryland, Hogan continued to teach as an adjunct faculty member at her alma mater, Maryland Institute College of Art.
First Lady of Maryland
Yumi Hogan became First Lady of Maryland on January 21, 2015, when Larry Hogan was inaugurated as Governor of Maryland. She is the first Korean American first lady of a U.S. state and the first Asian American first lady in the history of Maryland. Five months into her husband's term, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Hogan served as her husband's caregiver and unofficial nurse. Her public initiatives shifted upon his recovery, and she began advocating the benefits of art therapy, especially for cancer patients.
In April 2020, Hogan worked with her husband and South Korean Ambassador to the United States Lee Soo-hyuck to obtain 500,000 testing kits for $9.46 million during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Maryland. According to the findings of a state audit released in April 2021, the purchase of them was based on a flawed agreement and most of the replacement tests were likely never used. Personal life
Yumi Kim and her first husband had three daughters. She moved to Howard County, Maryland, in 1992 after divorcing her first husband. They were married in 2004
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Important facts
Family & relationships
People in Yumi Hogan's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
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Frequently asked questions
Who is Yumi Hogan?
South Korean-American artist and former first lady of Maryland (born 1959)
When was Yumi Hogan born?
Yumi Hogan was born on 25 December 1959 in Naju.
What is Yumi Hogan's occupation?
Yumi Hogan is a politician, artist and university teacher.
What nationality is Yumi Hogan?
Yumi Hogan is South Korean and American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Yumi Hogan. https://biography.guide/yumi-hogan/
MLA: "Yumi Hogan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/yumi-hogan/.
Chicago: "Yumi Hogan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/yumi-hogan/.
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