South Korea’s real-life Crazy Rich Asians: from K-pop and K-drama stars to Samsung and AmorePacific chaebol scions, meet 5 wealthy Korean influencers living their best lives

Oct 8 , 2020

Korea’s real-life Crazy Rich Asians: Gang Dong-won, Lee Boo-jin and Choi Siwon. Photo: @at_lesfleurs; @gang__dong_won; @siwonchoi/ Instagram

South Korea’s affluent elite are a force to be reckoned with. Despite the economic recession prompted by Covid-19, the nation’s most moneyed not only retained most of their wealth, but even increased it. According to Forbes, the combined net worth of the country’s 50 richest people is US$110.8 billion as of this year – slightly more than last year’s valuation of US$110 billion. Who, then, are the key players currently sitting on top of all this wealth?

Whether a scion leading a corporate empire or a celebrity using their fame for philanthropic pursuits, each of the five wealthy South Koreans below is a real-life Crazy Rich Asian in their own right.

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Lee Boo-jin

Our list can only begin with the elegant Lee Boo-jin. As the daughter of Lee Kun-hee, chairman of Samsung Electronics and currently the richest man in South Korea, she is undeniably the crème de la crème.

Unlike her father, though, Lee reigns supreme in the hospitality industry. She currently serves as the president and CEO of a popular South Korean luxury hotel chain. The billionaire businesswoman’s net worth now stands at US$1.6 billion.

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Gang Dong-won

You might recognise Gang Dong-won from his film roles, but did you know that the actor comes from a wealthy background? That’s right: his father is a self-made businessman who currently serves as the vice-president of SPP Heavy Industries, one of the world’s largest shipbuilding organisations.

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Siwon Choi

Being a member of OG K-pop boy band Super Junior might have landed Siwon Choi, aka Siwon, plenty of moolah, but he didn’t need it to begin with. The handsome singer’s father is the former CEO of the pharmaceutical company Boryung Medience, while his mother owns a successful lingerie brand.

But despite his moneyed background, Siwon is not one to show off, spending his personal time giving back to society via his role as the regional ambassador for Unicef East Asia and Pacific.

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Suh Min-jung

Suh Min-jung is the eldest daughter of Suh Kyung-bae, the billionaire behind cosmetic giant AmorePacific Corporation, and granddaughter of Shin Choon-ho, chairman of foods and drinks-specialised company Nongshim Group.

The Cornell University graduate currently holds the second-largest share of Etude House and Innisfree, which AmorePacific oversees.

Little is known about this demure beauty’s personal life. But with the recent news about her upcoming nuptials to Jong Jung-hwan of the family behind Bokwang Investment Corp, we’d bet she is busy overseeing plans for a grand wedding.

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Yoon Tae-young

Another K-drama actor, Yoon Tae-young’s impressive resume includes a role in hit films and TV shows such as Mr Socrates, Local Hero and Diary of a Night Watchman. But not many people know that, like Lee Boo-jin, he is also associated with Samsung Electronics. He is the son of Yun Jong-yong, who formerly served as the conglomerate’s vice-chairman.

Fun fact: his family is so well-respected that when he got married to actress Im Yoo-jin, former South Korean president and mayor of Seoul Lee Myung-bak was among the VIPs on the guest list.

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Millionaires and billionaires

Super Junior’s Siwon, actors Yoon Tae-young and Gang Dong-won, and billionaire and millionaire businesswomen Lee Boo-jin and Suh Min-jung are leading the pack when it comes to wealth in South Korea – but how do they spend their riches?