Samsung chief Lee Kun-hee tops list of local equity holders

This undated file photo shows Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee (L) and his only son Jay-yong against the background of the electronic giant’s headquarters building in southern Seoul.

SEOUL, (Yonhap) — Samsung Electronics Co. Chairman Lee Kun-hee claimed the top spot among 23 holders of listed stocks worth more than 1 trillion won (US$843 million) as of last week, a local market research company said Monday.

According to Chaebul.com, a total of 23 people held domestically traded stocks worth over 1 trillion won and their combined stock value reached 65.42 trillion won as of June 3, slightly down 1.1 percent from early this year.

Chairman Lee maintained the No. 1 position with the value of his equity assets rising 5.3 percent to 11.798 trillion won during the cited period, the corporate information provider said on its webpage.

AmorePacific Group Chairman Suh Kyung-bae saw his stock value jump 11.3 percent to 10.26 trillion won, followed by Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jay-yong whose equity value stood at 6.26 trillion won. This was followed by Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo whose stock value was estimated at 4.51 trillion won, it said.

Samsung Group’s heir apparent, Lee Jay-yong, meanwhile, is in the process of taking over control of the country’s biggest conglomerate from his 74-year-old father Kun-hee, who has been hospitalized since suffering a heart attack two years ago.

The ailing chairman’s two daughters — Hotel Shilla President Lee Boo-jin and Samsung C&T Corp. President Lee Seo-hyun — jointly ranked 10th with the value of their equity assets, respectively, at 1.73 trillion won as of Friday, the webpage said.

Hong Ra-hee, wife of the ailing chairman and mother of Jay-yong, Boo-jin and Seo-hyun, ranked 13th with an equity asset of 1.49 trillion won, Chaebul.com said.