Top chaebol shareholders did well as stocks rallied

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Top chaebol shareholders did well as stocks rallied

Published: 31 Dec. 2019, 18:59

Lee Kun-hee, Samsung Group chief, saw his stock value jump 30 percent this year to maintain his status as the richest shareholder in the country on the back of the robust performance of the group’s mainstay unit, Samsung Electronics, industry data showed Tuesday.

Lee held stocks worth 17.6 trillion won ($15.1 billion) as of Monday, the final trading session of 2019, according to the report compiled by industry tracker CEO Score. The shareholder has been hospitalized since 2014 after suffering a heart attack.

The increase was mainly attributable to Samsung Electronics, which rallied some 45 percent this year on the Korea Exchange.

Lee currently holds a 4.18 percent stake in Samsung Electronics, whose value is estimated at 13.9 trillion won. He also has stakes in other Samsung companies, including a 20.76 percent stake in Samsung Life Insurance and 2.86 percent in Samsung C&T.

The second-largest shareholder in Korea was Lee’s only son, Jae-yong, who held 7.3 trillion won worth of shares.

The bedridden businessman’s wife, Hong Ra-hee, stood at sixth place with a value of 3 trillion won.

Suh Kyung-bae, chairman of Amorepacific Group, Korea’s largest cosmetics maker, came in third at 5 trillion won, followed by Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo at 3.9 trillion won and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won with 3.4 trillion won, the report showed.

LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, who took over leadership last year following the death of his stepfather, held shares worth 1.9 trillion won at 11th place.

Yonhap