Here are Korean celebrities who boast extraordinary wealth but still work hard in the entertainment industry.
1. Actor Park Sung Hoon
Park Sung Hoon recently gained huge love for his performance as Jeon Jae Joon in Netflix’s hit series “The Glory”. Playing a chaebol in the drama, the actor is known to have grown up in a similar wealthy environment in real life.
Except for Park Sung Hoon, who pursues acting, most of his family members are graduates of law and medical schools. The actor also graduated from a high school of foreign language studies. Although Park Sung Hoon is nicknamed ‘gene mutation’ in his family, his father fully supported his acting career.
2. Actor Son Seok Gu
Son Seok Gu is known to have been a businessman before he made his debut as an actor. He served as the CEO of machine tool manufacturer G based in Daejeon. This company exports machine tools to 10 countries around the world, including the US and Canada.
Son Seok Gu’s family has been in the machine manufacturing industry for generations and Son Seok Gu’s grandfather Son Joong Man is known to be the founder of the industrial history in Daejeon back in 1950.
When Son Seok Gu was the CEO, the company reportedly recorded sales of up to 5.5 billion won. Although the actor has currently stepped down as the CEO, he is still the largest shareholder with 34.33% in shares.
3. Singer Umji
VIVIZ Umji’s father is a famous dental clinic director in Korea. He operates over 40 clinics in various locations throughout the country, including Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, Chungcheong-do, and Jeolla-do.
During Umji’s debut days, the dental clinic made headlines as they posted a congratulatory message through their official SNS account.
As a ‘golden spoon’, Umji often shows her generosity by buying various things for her members. It is known that GFRIEND members often call her by the name “Um-ca”, which means “Umji’s card”.
4. Singer-actor P.O
Block B member & actor P.O is also a famous ‘golden spoon’ idol. His father runs Korea’s first online duty-free shop.
It is known that P.O received a German luxury car as a gift when he graduated from high school, proving his family’s extraordinary wealth. The public was also surprised to know P.O’s uncle is mental health specialist Pyo Jin In.
5. Singer-actor Yook Sung Jae
The father of Yook Sung Jae, a member of the boy group BTOB, is the CEO of a vacuum component manufacturing company, which is a partner of company S.
The company of Yook Sung Jae’s father was confirmed to surpass 22 billion won in annual sales as of 2021, ranking in the top 10% of the industry.
Not only that, Yook Sung Jae’s maternal grandfather was the first person to introduce Koi fish, a premium fish species, to Korea and start a fish farm. His grandmother even operated a 5000-pyeong fishing site.
6. Comedian Kim Won Hoon
Comedian Kim Won Hoon, who is operating the YouTube channel “ShortBox” with 2.58 million subscribers, recently appeared on SBS’s “Strong Heart League” and revealed that his father runs a factory.
On the broadcast, Um Ji Yoon jokingly said, “He’s a true ‘golden spoon’ who is from a well-off family”. When asked about his father’s company, Kim Won Hoon replied, “He runs a small factory”. Hearing that, the cast commented, “He’s really a CEO”, drawing laughter.
7. Actor Lee Yi Kyung
Everyone in the Korean entertainment industry knows that Lee Yi Kyung is a ‘golden spoon’. His father is known to have worked hard when as a regular employee and became the CEO of a large company.
Lee Yi Kyung’s father held the CEO position at an electronics and chemicals subsidiary of the major group L. In 2014, when he served as CEO, his annual salary was over 1 billion KRW.
In addition, Lee Yi Kyung’s father is a former president of the Yonam Institute of Technology.
Source: Insight
