Kim Swoo Geun was born the first son of Kim Yong-hwan () and Kim Usudal () in Sinap-dong (),
Chongjin,
North Hamgyong Province. After his graduation from the school in 1950 and Kim entered
Seoul National University, majoring in architecture. In 1952, during the
Korean War, he withdrew from the school and went abroad to
Japan where he studied modern architecture at
Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. During his study at this school, he interned at Hirada Matsuda (松田平田)'s architectural firm. In 1960 he received a
master's degree in architecture from
Tokyo University where he finished his doctoral course as well. In 1959, he won the competition for the
National Assembly Building of South Korea, but his proposal was not realized due to the political situation at that time. In 1960, he returned to his country with his Japanese wife Michiko Yajima (矢島道子). He would eventually father three children with her. In 1961 he founded his architectural firm, "Kim Swoo Geun Planning and Design" (), the predecessor of the current SPACE group. At the same time, he also began to teach at the architecture department of
Hongik University. ==Recognition==