Samsung heir Lee Boo-jin: the Hotel Shilla CEO finalised a dramatic divorce in 2020, but she’s also a style icon with a big heart

Jun 1 , 2021

Lee Boo-jin, the Samsung heir with a big heart.Photo: @able.celebrity/Instagram

Her siblings Jay Y. Lee and Lee Seo-hyun studied at Keio University in Tokyo and Parsons School of Design in New York, but Boo-jin opted for Yonsei

Known for her refined fashion sense, she got Cetaphil lotion trending in 2011 when netizens spotted it in her shopping trolley

Getting featured in any big annual list by the likes of Forbes and Fortune is an achievement enough in itself – but what does it take to keep appearing year after year? One woman was chosen for Fortune’s “Most Powerful Women of Asia-Pacific” list in 2015, and both Forbes’ “Korea’s 50 Richest” rank in 2020 and its “Billionaires” list in 2021 – you might have guessed who we’re talking about; Lee Boo-jin, the eldest female Samsung heir.

Yes, we all know just how influential the tech giant is, but there are many more things we should know about 50-year-old Lee – here are just five of them.

Her original name was Lee Yoo-jin

Lee Boo-jin and her brother Lee Jae-yong in their childhood. Photo: Tistory

It’s not unusual for Korean public figures to change their names so that they have better pronunciations or meanings. According to The Korea Herald, 725,000 Koreans legally changed their names between 2002 and 2012. Of course, there are stage names too. But Lee’s case is unique considering that she changed her name at the age of three.

Lee Boo-jin and her mother Hong Ra-hee in the past. Photo: Tistory

According to Chosun newspaper, Lee had a weak body and was affected by various health issues when she was a child. Her cousin Jay-hyun – chairman of CJ Group – suffers from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), and since the disorder can run in families, the publication speculated as to whether Lee suffers from it too.

The Korean public widely believes that Lee’s parents decided to change her name from Lee Yoo-jin to Lee Boo-jin for better luck and a healthier body. The pronunciation of Boo is stronger than Yoo, and the character for Boo means rich. Chosun reported that she appeared to become healthier after changing her name.

She studied French and majored in children’s studies

Stronger then Yoo? Lee Boo-jin. Photo: @ltttanya/Twitter

In Korea, studying abroad is an indicator of status and wealth, so many chaebol scions attend university outside the country. Lee’s brother Jae-yong studied at Keio University in Tokyo for his master’s degree, while her sister Seo-hyun obtained her bachelor’s degree at Parsons School of Design in New York. However, unlike her siblings, Lee decided to stay in Korea and attend Yonsei University, preferred by K-drama stars for her bachelor’s degree, majoring in children’s studies.

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