As of June 2026, the richest person in South Korea is Jay Y. Lee with an estimated net worth of $38.5B (Samsung). South Korea has 45 billionaire(s) on Forbes' Real-Time Billionaires list; the full ranking is below and updates automatically.
Key takeaways
- Richest in South Korea: Jay Y. Lee — $38.5B.
- South Korea has 45 Forbes billionaire(s), worth $182.8B combined.
- Source: Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, auto-updated June 2026.
Top 45 Richest People in South Korea 2026 — full list
| # | Name | Net worth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jay Y. Lee | $38.5B | Samsung |
| 2 | Lee Boo-jin | $14.3B | Samsung |
| 3 | Lee Seo-hyun | $13.4B | Samsung |
| 4 | Hong Ra-hee | $12.9B | Samsung |
| 5 | Mong-Koo Chung | $7.3B | Hyundai |
| 6 | Cho Jung-ho | $6.8B | Finance |
| 7 | Seo Jung-jin | $6.6B | Biotech |
| 8 | Chey Tae-won | $6.4B | Oil, semiconductor |
| 9 | Euisun Chung | $5.7B | Hyundai |
| 10 | Kwak Dong Shin | $5.2B | Semiconductors |
| 11 | Park Hyeon-joo | $3.6B | mutual funds |
| 12 | Cho Hyun-joon | $3.1B | Diversified |
| 13 | Kwon Hyuk-bin | $3.1B | Online games |
| 14 | Chung Yong-jin | $3.1B | Retail |
| 15 | Byunghoon Kim | $2.8B | Beauty devices |
| 16 | Koo Bon-neung | $2.7B | Electronics |
| 17 | Kim Beom-su | $2.7B | Online services |
| 18 | Chey Ki-won | $2.6B | computer services, telecom |
| 19 | Kim Jun-ki | $2.5B | Diversified |
| 20 | Park Dong-suk | $2.4B | Electrical equipment |
| 21 | Park Soon-jae | $2.3B | Biopharmaceuticals |
| 22 | Song Chi-hyung | $2.3B | Fintech |
| 23 | Chung Mong-joon | $2.1B | Shipbuilding, industrial machines |
| 24 | Yoo Jung-hyun | $2.1B | Online games |
| 25 | Koo Kwang-mo | $2.0B | LG |
| 26 | Koo Bon-sik | $1.8B | LG |
| 27 | Kim Nam-goo | $1.6B | Korea Investment Holdings |
| 28 | Shin Chang-jae | $1.6B | Insurance |
| 29 | Chung Yong-ji | $1.5B | Biotech |
| 30 | Lee Chae-yoon | $1.5B | Semiconductors |
| 31 | Hwang Chul-joo | $1.4B | Semiconductors |
| 32 | Lee Dong-chae | $1.4B | Chemicals |
| 33 | Lee Hae-jin | $1.4B | Internet |
| 34 | Kim Jung-youn | $1.3B | Online gaming |
| 35 | Kim Jung-min | $1.3B | Online gaming |
| 36 | Lee Jay-hyun | $1.3B | food products, entertainment |
| 37 | Kim Sang-beom | $1.2B | Semiconductors |
| 38 | Kim Taek-jin | $1.2B | Online games |
| 39 | Kim Hyoung-nyon | $1.2B | Fintech |
| 40 | Sung Kyu-dong | $1.2B | Semiconductors |
| 41 | Shin Dong-joo | $1.1B | Retail |
| 42 | Yoon Dae-in | $1.1B | Biotech |
| 43 | Lee Ho-jin | $1.1B | Diversified |
| 44 | Lee Su-jin | $1.1B | Hospitality |
| 45 | Hong Seok-joh | $1.0B | Convenience stores |
Source: Forbes Real-Time Billionaires — auto-updated June 2026. Net worth changes daily; verify before citing.
How this ranking works
This list shows every South Korea citizen on Forbes' Real-Time Billionaires feed, ranked by net worth. Forbes re-estimates each fortune as markets move; private-company stakes are estimates, so figures vary by day. Last updated June 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the richest person in South Korea?
Jay Y. Lee — $38.5B (Forbes, June 2026).
How many billionaires does South Korea have?
45 on Forbes' current real-time list.
