Samsung Heiresses Remain Wealthiest Despite Share Sell-Off
The mother and two sisters of Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong continue to hold their positions as the three wealthiest female stockholders in Korea, despite having sold a portion of their shares in the global electronics giant to cover inheritance taxes. Data released by Leaders Index, a corporate tracker based in Seoul, indicates that as of January 13, Lee’s mother, Hong Ra-hee, along with her two daughters, Lee Boo-jin and Lee Seo-hyun, collectively possess shares valued at 24.19 trillion won ($18.17 billion) in Samsung Electronics and other affiliated companies.
These affiliates encompass Samsung C&T, Samsung SDS, and Samsung Life Insurance. The total value of the shares held by the three Samsung owner family members has increased by 0.3 percent compared to the previous year. This information follows the recent sale of a combined 29.8 million shares, equivalent to a 0.5 percent stake in Samsung Electronics, which amounted to 2.16 trillion won. It is speculated that the funds raised from this sale were utilized to cover substantial inheritance taxes incurred following the passing of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee in October 2020.
Leaders Index attributes the resilience of Samsung Electronics in the benchmark KOSPI, driven by a recovery in global chip demand, as a contributing factor to the sustained high ranking of Hong and her daughters as the wealthiest female stockholders in Korea. Hong Ra-hee maintains her top position on the list, with her stocks valued at 7.39 trillion won, reflecting a 1.1 percent increase from the previous year. Lee Boo-jin retains the second position, with the value of her shares rising by 2.5 percent year-on-year to 6.33 trillion won. Lee Seo-hyun remains the third-richest female stockholder, with the value of her shares experiencing a 4.2 percent year-on-year increase to 5.36 trillion won.
Chey Kee-won, the younger sister of SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, secures the fourth position, but her 6.6 percent stake in SK Inc., the holding company of SK Group, declined by 14.2 percent year-on-year to 787.6 billion won. Kim Young-shik, the widow of LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo, occupies the fifth position, although the value of her stocks diminished by 4.3 percent to 506 billion won.
