In the first quarter of this year, Bang Si-hyuk, who heads the influential K-pop label Hybe, saw the most significant increase in wealth among South Korea’s leading entrepreneurs. From January through March, his assets grew by an impressive 515.5 billion won, outpacing even well-known magnates like Samsung Electronics Chair Lee Jae-yong. Recognized as a prominent corporate figure only recently, Bang profited greatly due to Hybe’s soaring share price; he holds a substantial stake (31.57%), buoyed by anticipation surrounding BTS’s complete comeback following their discharge from mandatory military duty expected in June.
The leading business figures from South Korea experienced varied outcomes in the initial quarter of this year due to political unrest and fluctuations in international markets causing jitters among investors. The Korea CXO Institute published a report on April 9th which highlighted industrial transformations and residual impacts stemming from former U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies as significant influences.
In the top five following Bang were Samsung's Lee Jae-yong, Hanwha Chairman Kim Seung-yeon, CJ Chairman Lee Jay-hyun, and Kakao founder Kim Beom-su.
Billionaires associated with fast-growing industries like defense, semiconductors, and entertainment experienced significant increases in their wealth, whereas those involved in biotechnology and automotive sectors faced declines due to market adjustments.
According to the KFTC, the report examined the stock values of 43 conglomerate leaders who held personal stakes worth over 100 billion won each as of late March. The total value amounted to 57.74 trillion won, which represents a minor decrease of 0.3% compared to the initial figure of 57.92 trillion won recorded at the beginning of January. In this period, 27 individuals experienced an uptick in their wealth, whereas 16 faced declines.
Lee Jae-yong experienced the second-biggest increase, with his assets rising by 321.3 billion won. As of the end of March, his share value stood at 12.23 trillion won, marking a rise of 2.7% since January. In March, he momentarily slipped behind Meritz Financial Group Chairperson Cho Jung-ho but reclaimed the title of South Korea’s leading shareholder due to an uptick in semiconductor stocks. The evaluation placed Lee approximately 3% above Cho, who had accumulated wealth totaling around 11.92 trillion won. Nonetheless, Cho did not feature in the rankings because he isn’t formally recognized as a conglomerate leader by the KFTC.
Hanwha's Kim Seung-yeon saw an increase of 237.6 billion won due to the company becoming a significant player in the defense sector, fueled by rising global military expenditures after President Trump took office. Nevertheless, his share value is anticipated to drop significantly because he intends to transfer a substantial part of his equity holdings to his three offspring, one of whom is Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan. This transition is set to occur on April 30th.
Lee Jay-hyun of CJ Group saw an increase of 232.1 billion won, largely due to growing anticipation for the unlisted cosmetics retailer Olive Young. Meanwhile, Kim Beom-su of Kakao Corporation accumulated an additional 172.1 billion won; however, he has withdrawn from active management following his recent diagnosis of early-stage bladder cancer earlier this month.
