Lee Seo Hyun: The Lady of the Samsung Empire, living a "rose" life, love and career are all enough

Lee Seo Hyun has the smoothest and least turbulent life path among the 4 children of President Lee. She possesses enough "combos" of love, money and power. It is noteworthy that the marriage was consummated for almost 20 years with a talented husband and four children.

Lee Seo Hyun is the second daughter and third child of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun Hee. Born on September 20, 1973, she is considered South Korea's youngest billionaire at age 50, owning 5.47% of the company's shares, with a net worth of $3.1 billion, according to Forbes.

As one of the heirs of the Samsung Group, Lee Seo Hyun lived like a typical tycoon lady from birth. The billionaire's life is so "in rhythm" that when it comes to Korea's most powerful and wealthy family, people often overlook the name Lee Seo Hyun. The media and public opinion are often more interested in her eldest brother - current Samsung Chairman Lee Jae Yong or the eldest sister Lee Bo Jin with the breakdown of her marriage with "Cinderella". The youngest Samsung princess, Lee Yoon Hyung, was even more tragic when she took her own life at the age of 26.

From a young age, Lee Seo Hyun was considered artistic in the family. She was always interested in fashion. This is why after graduating from Seoul High School of the Arts, she moved to the United States in the late 1990s to study at Parsons School of Design in New York City.

In 2002, Lee Seo Hyun joined Cheil Industries, a leading textile company affiliated with Samsung, where she worked for over 15 years. While in charge of the company's fashion department, Lee launched the SPA 8seconds brand and made a splash. But 8seconds then failed to stay in the highly competitive apparel market in South Korea and the brand appears to have been killed. Cheil Industries later merged with Samsung C&T.

Lee Seo Hyun has many achievements in her career, not too inferior to her sister known as "strong woman". In 2010, the Samsung princess became the first Korean to serve as a member of the Advisory Board of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Forbes Asia named her one of Asia's most powerful businesswomen in 2011. She is also the only Korean named to Forbes' 2013 Young Global Billionaires list.

In 2018, Lee Seo Hyun left Samsung C&T to focus on his passion for philanthropy by heading the Samsung Welfare Foundation and Samsung Art Museum. Samsung Welfare Foundation regularly contributes to the community by establishing Child Care Centers in low-income neighborhoods among other charitable activities. In August 2022, she was also appointed as an advisor to the corporate social responsibility team at Samsung's global research center.

President Lee and his wife with their two daughters

In real life, Lee Seo Hyun is considered one of the country's fashion icons, with urban luxury and elegance. She was praised for her fashion sense and openness to experimenting with different styles. According to an industry insider, Lee is "someone who doesn't necessarily need a stylist because she knows exactly what she wants to wear every day. She was never afraid to try something new, even wearing some bold accessories."

Lee Seo Hyun with his mother and sister Lee Boo Jin

Referring to the son of a Korean tycoon, people often imagine marriages that are political. Samsung's heir, eldest brother Lee Seo Hyun, had such a marriage but then divorced. Meanwhile, Lee Bo Jin and his youngest brother Lee Yoon Hyung both choose to pursue love with their "Cinderellas" only to suffer sad endings: one is divorced, one takes his own life because his parents forbid him.

Lee Seo Hyun is also favorable on the road to love. Her husband is Kim Jae Yeol, the youngest son of the chairman of DongA Ilbo Group, one of Korea's leading newspapers. However, this is by no means a political marriage matched to consolidate the power of the two corporations. It is known that Kim Jae Yeol is a high school friend of Jae Yong's older brother. Thanks to that, before having the opportunity to meet, the young man surnamed Kim heard a lot about the Samsung girl.

When President Lee went to the US for medical treatment, Kim Jae Yeol went to visit his best friend's father, from there met Seo Hyun and was hit by "love thunder". After a period of love, the couple got married in 2000 with the consent of their families.

Kim holds an MBA from Stanford University, after graduating with a bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University (USA). Kim joined his wife's conglomerate in 2002, having served as chairman of Cheil Industries. Kim also served as president of the Korea Skating Federation (KSU) from 2011 to 2016. He is also executive vice chairman of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, vice president of the Korean Olympic Committee, and a member of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Coordinating Committee. On June 10, Korea joongang daily reported that Kim was elected president of the International Skating Union (ISU) at the federation's annual general meeting in Phuket, Thailand.

After more than 20 years together, the late Samsung Chairman and his wife have four children, the couple is still as happy as the first day. They are said to enjoy a happy, peaceful life, often appearing together in many events.

Currently, Kim Jae Yeol is also involved in running his wife's family company. Not only did he study highly, but he was also very skillful in diplomacy, making President Lee Kun Hee extremely satisfied and assured of the talented bridegroom.