Lee Boo-jin (Korean: 이부진; born October 6, 1970) is a South Korean billionaire businesswoman who is the president and chief executive of Hotel Shilla, one of Seoul's leading hotels and conference centers. Lee has been dubbed by the media as "Little Lee Kun-hee" and is regarded as a successful businesswoman for her work in Hotel Shilla.[5] She is the younger sister of Samsung Electronics executive chairman Lee Jae-yong,[6] and the older sister of Lee Seo-hyun, chairman of Samsung Welfare Foundation.[7]
Lee Boo-jin | |
---|---|
![]() Lee in 2024 | |
Born | [1][2]
[3] | October 6, 1970
Education | Yonsei University |
Occupation | Businesswoman |
Title | CEO of Hotel Shilla |
Spouse |
Im Woo-jae
(m. 1999; div. 2020) |
Children | 1 |
Parent(s) | Lee Kun-hee Hong Ra-hee |
Relatives | Lee Jae-yong (brother) Lee Jay-hyun (cousin) |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 이부진 |
Hanja | |
Revised Romanization | Lee Bujin |
McCune–Reischauer | I Puchin |
Early life
editA native of Seoul, South Korea,[1] she is the daughter of Lee Kun-hee, the late billionaire chairman of Samsung.[3] She graduated from Daewon Foreign Language High School in Korea.[6] She earned a bachelor's degree from Yonsei University, majoring in children's studies.[3]
Career
editLee began her career at Samsung Welfare Foundation in 1995.[8]
In 2001, she joined Hotel Shilla, a member company of the Samsung Group, specializing in travel retail and the hospitality business. She has been the president and CEO of Hotel Shilla since December 2010.[8]
Lee was formerly president of corporate strategy for Samsung Everland and an advisor for the trading department of Samsung C&T from December 2010 to December 2015, with the two companies merging to become Samsung C&T Corporation in September 2015.[8]
She was an independent non-executive director of CITIC Limited from 2014 to 2019.[9]
As of February 2023, her net worth was estimated at US$3.3 billion.[10]
Since 2015, she has been ranked on Forbes' lists of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women, with 82nd rank in 2023.[11][12]
Personal life
editShe lives in Seoul, South Korea.[3]
In 1999, she married Im Woo-jae, known in the South Korean press as "Mr. Cinderella" because of his humble background, as an "employee of a security service affiliate of Samsung Group".[13] They separated in 2012, and have one son together.[3]
In a court ruling in July 2017, Lee was ordered to pay her ex-husband Im Woo-jae $7.6 million, as part of their divorce settlement, with Lee receiving sole custody of their son.[13] Im allegedly counter-sued and sought $1.1 billion as a division of assets, one of the largest amounts ever requested in an asset split trial in South Korea. Their divorce was settled in January 2020 with Lee ordered to pay Im $12.1 million in an asset split.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c "[Who Is ?] 이부진 호텔신라 대표이사 사장". Business Post (in Korean). May 10, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
- ^ The Investor<[1]>
- ^ a b c d e "Forbes profile: Lee Boo-Jin". Forbes. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
- ^ a b Lee, Min-ji (January 27, 2020). "Top court upholds divorce of Samsung chairman's eldest daughter". Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved December 25, 2020 – via Yonhap News Agency.
- ^ Baek, Byung-yuel (October 27, 2020). "Will heiresses separate from Samsung empire?". The Korea Times. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
- ^ a b 강, 민경 (September 29, 2017). "호감가는 여성 CEO 1위 이부진 호텔신라 사장" [Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin tops the list of likable female CEOs]. 인사이트코리아 (in Korean). Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ 윤, 진우. "삼성복지재단, 이서현 신임 이사장 선임". Naver News (in Korean). Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ a b c "[Who Is ?] 이부진 호텔신라 대표이사 사장". 비즈니스포스트. May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ 남, 윤선. "이부진, 中 국영기업 사외이사 됐다". Naver News (in Korean). Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ "Lee Boo-jin". Forbes. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ Valet, Vicky (May 26, 2015). "The World's Most Powerful Women: 19 Newcomers To The 2015 List". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
- ^ "The World's Most Powerful Women 2023". Forbes.
- ^ a b "Samsung heiress ordered to pay $7.6 mln in divorce ruling". July 20, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017 – via Reuters.