Lee Boo-jin
Lee Boo-jin | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 6, 1970 Seoul, South Korea |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, business executive |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Known for | President and CEO of Hotel Shilla |
Lee Boo-jin (; born October 6, 1970) is a prominent South Korean entrepreneur who has held the position of president and CEO at Hotel Shilla since 2010. Hotel Shilla is recognized as one of Seoul’s leading hotels and conference venues. Often referred to in the press as "Little Lee Kun-hee," she is acclaimed for steering the company's expansion within the hospitality and travel retail sectors. Lee is the younger sibling of Samsung Electronics executive chairman Lee Jae-yong and the elder sister of Lee Seo-hyun, who chairs the Samsung Welfare Foundation.
She is counted among the wealthiest figures in South Korea. According to Forbes data from December 2024, her estimated net worth stands at US$2.3 billion, ranking her as the 13th richest individual nationally.
Early life and education
Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Lee is the daughter of the late Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee. She completed her secondary education at Daewon Foreign Language High School before obtaining a bachelor's degree in children's studies from Yonsei University.
Career
Lee launched her professional journey with the Samsung Welfare Foundation in 1995. She transitioned to Hotel Shilla, a Samsung Group affiliate specializing in travel retail and hospitality, in 2001. Since December 2010, she has been leading the company as its president and CEO.
Prior to this role, she held the presidency of corporate strategy at Samsung Everland and served as an advisor to Samsung C&T’s trading division from 2010 until their merger in 2015, which consolidated both entities into Samsung C&T Corporation.
From 2015 onwards, Lee has consistently featured on Forbes’ list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, achieving an 82nd place ranking in 2023. Additionally, she was an independent non-executive director at CITIC Limited between 2014 and 2019.
As of February 2023, her net worth was assessed at approximately US$3.3 billion.
Personal life
Lee lives in Seoul. She married Im Woo-jae in 1999; he was formerly employed in security services connected to Samsung and came from a modest background. The couple separated in 2012 and share one son.
A court decision in 2017 mandated Lee to pay Im $7.6 million as part of their divorce settlement while granting her full custody of their child. Im filed a counterclaim demanding $1.1 billion in asset division, marking one of South Korea’s largest financial disputes. Their divorce was finalized in January 2020, with Lee ordered to pay $12.1 million for asset division.