List of Richest Korean Idols (Part 2)

In the List of Richest Korean Idols (Part 1) we looked at the wealthiest idols based on annual income. However, family wealth is just as interesting and enticing, so in this edition, we look at the Korean Entertainment Industry’s Top 10 Richest Second Generation Idols. We’ve included information about their parents’ companies (so that you can apply for a job there if necessary haha).

1) Eun Ji Won, 2) Phillip Lee, 3) Lee Seo Jin, 4) Kang Dong Won, 5) Siwon

Note: more info is given about the ‘single’ idols 

1. Eun Ji Won

Eun Ji Won comes from a both a powerful political and entertainment background. Not only is he is the grandson of Korea’s former President Park Jeonghee, Eun Jiwon’s mother was also a part of 70s group ‘Lili Sisters’ and worked as a famous CF model.

Relationship Status: Married (Booooo!…I mean…I wish him all the happiness in the world)

2. Phillip Lee

When my friend and I first watched ‘Secret Garden’ we thought that Phillip Lee was the definition of ‘plastic surgery gone wrong‘. As it turns out, he had the last laugh. Phillip Lee’s family wealth is estimated to be over US$173,000,000 and his house in the U.S can be described in one word: BIG. His father is the president of STG, and Phillip Lee himself has an Engineering Master Degree from George Washington University.

Relationship status: no idea…I don’t think that he’s popular enough to be interviewed about it. But the guy is 31 years old so you can draw your own conclusions.

3. Lee Seo-Jin

Lee Seo-Jin comes from a powerful finance background. His grandfather was the first Governor of Seoul Bank and a Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce. Lee Seo-Jin’s father was also a former Treasury Director, and the family is known to have businesses in the insurance, tourism and financial sectors. But he has two other siblings so bear in mind how the inheritance will be divided. 😛

Lee Seo Jin isn’t just going to be inheriting money though. This man has a Masters Degree in Business Management from New York University and is also the Director of Asset Management Company Veritas (hmm.. me thinks I should get job there).

Relationship status: he had a 1 year relationship with actress Kim Jung Eun but they split in 2008. Not sure if he’s single, but he’s definitely not married. On a different note, Lee Seo Jin is good friends with fellow richie Lee Seung Gi.

4. Kang Dong Won

It is so difficult to find information about Kang Dong Won’s family, other than the fact that his father is the Vice President of a large corporation. Finally I saw this picture:

Notice the little red and white SPP logo on his father’s shirt? Well, it turns out that his father is the Vice President of heavy industry group SPP Shipbuilding Co. Click here to view their company website. Not sure what his family wealth his, but SSP Shipbuilding Co. is aiming for a revenue of US$ 2.5 billion in 2015.

Relationship status: unknown

5. Choi Siwon

Siwon’s father boasts an impressive resume. He was the President of the company Korean Slim Fashion before becoming CEO of Boryung Medience in 2011. Siwon’s family is also rumoured to own the Hyundai Department Store; although it is unclear what percentage of shares his family holds. This company is one of the largest supermarket chains in Korea and gross profits for the Department Store Division alone, was estimated to be over $US 542,000,000 (2010).

*chokes and spits out water*. HOW MUCH!?! OMG I’m buying a plane ticket to Korea!!

Just to clear up the rumours though, his family does not own a helicopter. To find out more about the Hyundai Department Stores’ finances, click here.

Relationship Status: Single

Ideal type: Siwon says that his ideal type is “someone who’s positive and has pure eyes.” He goes onto add “I hope my future wife will be someone who can understand my unstable occupation and is able to maintain the household well.” Siwon’s previous girlfriend was SM trainee Stella Kim. Photos of the ex-couple:

6. Bae Doo Na

Bae Doo Na’s mother is a famous stage actress. Everything else about her can pretty much just be found on Wikipedia so I won’t go into detail here.

7. Super Junior’s Sungmin

Sungmin’s father is the President of Sendbill. Sendbill is an e-tax application and it’s pretty much the industry standard in Korea. I don’t know exact profits, but it’s customer base include 250 large companies and over 85,000 small to midsize companies. I have the feeling that this company is going to be BIG in the future; as the Korean government made it mandatory for businesses to submit their tax returns electronically in 2011.

If you want to test out your korean, click here to visit the company’s website.

Relationship status: Single

Ideal type: Sungmin likes girls who are shorter than him (hahaha, is this measured with or without his shoe lifts?). He also wants a girl who is cute like him, and is a ‘rich family’s daughter’. (umm…isn’t he rich enough for the both of them). I also remember watching a variety show where Sungmin said that he’d enjoy washing the dishes with his wife.

Photo of Sungmin with his ex-girlfriend:

8. 2PM’s Nichkhun

Nichkhun’s mother is the CEO of Pharmaceutical Importer and Distributor, Union Medical. After doing some research, I found that Union Medical had a sales revenue of US $6,000,000 in 2011-12. For more info click here.

Nichkhun was also educated at the Wanganui Collegiate School in New Zealand, a school which has previously hosted British Royalty.

Relationship status: Single

Ideal type: Nichkhun’s ideal types have ranged from SNSD’s Yoona to T-ara’s Eunjung to f(x)’s Victoria and to figure skating champion Kim Yuna. As for qualities, he wants a girl who is ‘good to her parents’ and he won’t say no to dating an older girl!

However, this may just be my personal opinion, but I think that Nichkhun’s ideal girl is scripted and that he is being told to say who and what he likes… Just an inkling I get…

9. Jung Il Woo

Remember the guy who played the ‘Grim Reaper’ in 49 Days? Well he has every reason not to be grim. Jung II Woo is the ‘rich boy’ that every mum wants for her daughter. His grandfather is the Chief Director of a hospital in Korea, his father the Director of a Kendo Academy and his mother a professor at the Korean National University of Cultural Heritage. Smart Smart Smart family means good genes!

Some interesting facts about him:

• he’s childhood friends with Lee Min Ho and is best friends with Kim Bum (omg this is one guy who could introduce you to some hot friends)
• he openly cares about his Drama ratings (lol)
• he broke up with his ex-girlfriend in 2010

Relationship status: Single

Ideal type: Jung II Woo doesn’t have an ideal girl because it changes every year haha!

Now, I don’t often say this but this guy is seriously sweet. When he was asked what type of love he dreamed of, he said (in reference to 49 days): ‘In the drama, he loved Song Yi Kyung so much that he continued to love her in the afterlife. I thought that I could have a love like that.’ *dies from sweetness*.

He also says that if he likes somebody, he’ll ‘only look at her advantages and will treat her wholeheartedly‘. However, he confesses that he tends to forget his ex-girlfriends really quickly.

10. SNSD’s Sooyoung

Surprisingly, there is very little information about Sooyoung’s family wealth. There are rumours that her family owns a fabric company but this speculation probably came from the fact that there’s a Korean textile company called ‘Soo Young Family Co.Ltd’. Below is a picture of her house, which is apparently considered quite big in Korea.

Relationship status: Single

Ideal type: Sooyoung’s ideal type is guys who are friendly and down-to-earth and who are also passionate about what they do. Sooyoung is quite down-to-earth herself and in the past, has confessed to being attracted to both a policeman and a man who grilled meat.

Below is a video of Sooyoung’s crush back in high school. He’s pretty cute, don’t you think?

So which do you prefer? Idols who make their own wealth, or ones that will inevitably inherit a fortune from their parents?

Read the List of Richest Korean Idols (Part 1) here

xoxo

Nic