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South Korea’s real-life Crazy Rich Asians

Published: 6:45pm, 22 Dec 2020Updated: 12:00pm, 23 Dec 2020

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

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?

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.