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Caspar Li

Ever wonder which super-rich individuals are able ride out the times of slumping economies and maintain their positions among the world’s wealthiest individuals?
Check out the six richest South Korean billionaires according to the Forbes “World’s Billionaires” list, according to the latest estimates reported on March 6.
Lee Kun-hee

Who: chairman of Samsung Electronics, South Korea’s largest conglomerate, and the world’s largest smartphones producer
Estimated net worth: US$16.6 billion
Lee, 77, who graduated from Waseda University with a bachelor’s degree in economics, became chairman of Samsung in 1987 after the death of his father.
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Today the conglomerate has interests in everything from fashion, theme parks and insurance to advanced materials, IT services and smartphones and televisions.
Seo Jung-jin

Who: founder and chairman of Celltrion health care
Estimated net worth: US$7.9 billion
Seo, 61, co-founded Celltrion in 2002 and took it public in 2008.
Today, the bio-pharmaceutical company develops drugs for the treatment of conditions including cancer, influenza and rheumatoid arthritis.
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With high expectations in South Korea about generic medical products, Celltrion remains a favourite among investors, Forbes magazine reports.
Kim Jung-ju

Who: founder of the gaming company, Nexon, and chairman of its holding company, NXC
Estimated net worth: US$6.8 billion
Born in 1968, Kim co-founded the gaming company upon finishing his master’s degree and PhD in electronic engineering and computer science at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology.
In 1996, Nexon launched the world’s first online game, Baram e Nara (“The Kingdom of the Wind”) and took the company’s trading in Japan public in 2011.
Today, Nexon is the largest gaming company in South Korea, with more than 350 million users in over 72 countries.
Jay Y. Lee

Who: vice-chairman of Samsung Electronics
Estimated net worth: US$6.7 billion
Lee, 50, is the only child of Hong Ra-hee and Lee Kun-hee, the chairman of Samsung.
He joined Samsung Electronics as vice-president of strategic planning in 1991 and became vice-chairman of the conglomerate in 2012.
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He has overseen the company’s rise to become the world’s biggest smartphones producer and accumulating a one-quarter stake in closely held Chiel Industries.
A merger between Samsung C&T – the company’s construction and trading arm – and Chiel Industries in 2015 saw Lee become the biggest shareholder, with a stake of about 16.5 per cent.
Suh Kyung-bae

Who: chairman of Amorepacific, South Korea’s largest cosmetics and skincare company
Estimated net worth: US$4.2 billion
The only one out of six children interested in the business, Suh joined the company in 1987 and was named as the CEO in 1997.
Today the company, which owns the brands Sulwhasoo and Laneige, has a market share in South Korea of about 30 per cent, as well as production based in both China and France.
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Chung Mong-koo

Who: chairman of South Korea’s largest carmaker, Hyundai Motor
Estimated net worth: US$4.2 billion
Chung, 80, took over the family business in 1998, a year after the Asian financial crisis.
The Seoul-based carmaker is the world’s fifth-largest in terms of sales, with almost five million cars sold in 2017, the company’s investor presentation reported in 2018.
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South Korea’s 6 richest billionaires, clockwise from top left: Kim Jung-ju, Lee Kun-hee, Seo Jung-jin, Suh Kyung-bae, Jay Y. Lee and Chung Mong-koo. Graphics: Kwong Wang Chow

Chung Mong-koo_chairman of Hyundai Motor

Kim Jung-ju_ founder of Nexon and chairman of NXC

Jay Y. Lee_ vice chairman of Samsung Electronics

Seo Jung-jin_founder and chairman of Celltrion Healthcare

Suh Kyung-bae_chairman of AmorePacific Corporation

Lee Kun-hee_chairman of Samsung Electronics

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Kee Kun-hee, chairman of the Samsung, and his son, Jay Y. Lee, the company’s vice-president, both feature among the nation’s wealthiest businessmen on the Forbes ‘World’s Billionaires’ list


Lee Kun-hee, chairman of the Samsung, and his son, Jay Y. Lee, the company’s vice-president, both feature among the nation’s wealthiest businessmen on the Forbes ‘World’s Billionaires’ list


South Korea