The Korea Herald

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Lee Kun-hee’s stock value hits record high

By Korea Herald

Published : March 11, 2012 - 20:58

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The value of securities held by Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee has exceeded the 10 trillion won ($8.9 billion) mark for the first time, setting a new record in Korea’s stock market.

According to Chaebul.com on Sunday, stakes held by the nation’s richest entrepreneur came in at 10.1 trillion won at Friday’s close, largely driven by the strong performance of Samsung-affiliated companies.

The figure is a 13.7 percent surge from 8.88 trillion won earlier this year, after Lee’s stakes exceeded 1 trillion won in value first back in 2002.

Samsung Electronics shares closed at a record 1.23 million won per share on Friday, a surge of 4.24 percent from one day earlier. Samsung Life Insurance and Samsung C&T also led the advance.

Lee owns 3.38 percent of Samsung Electronics, 20.76 percent of Samsung Life Insurance and 1.37 percent of Samsung C&T.

Chaebul.com also found that Lee’s wife Hong Ra-hee, director of Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, and his son and Samsung Electronics COO Lee Jae-yong owned about 1.33 trillion won each in Samsung stakes.

The combined value of stakes held by Lee’s family recorded an all-time high at 12.46 trillion won.

Meanwhile, the Samsung owner was followed by Hyundai Motor Group chairman Chung Mong-koo, whose stake was valued at 6.53 trillion won.

The third place was taken by Chung’s only son and Hyundai Motor vice chairman Chung Eui-sun with a 2.66 trillion won stake in the group.

According to the report, Chung Mong-joon, who is a senior ruling party lawmaker and the biggest shareholder in Hyundai Heavy Industries, ranked fourth with 2.59 trillion won. He was followed by SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won with 2.29 trillion won.

The data said the number of shareholders who own stocks worth more than 1 trillion won as of Friday is 16.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)