Lee Jae-young, vice chairman of global tech giant Samsung Electronics Co., has emerged as South Korea's richest stockholder following his father's death, a corporate tracker said Wednesday.

The value of Lee's stock holdings came to 9.1 trillion won ($8.3 billion) as of Tuesday, up from 7.4 trillion won at the end of last year, according to CEO Score.

Lee Kun-hee, the younger Lee's father, died on Oct. 25 at age 78, more than six years after being hospitalized for a heart attack.

The late Samsung chairman had been the country's richest stockholder for the past 10 years, with his stock value reaching 17.7 trillion won as of late October.

Lee Jae-yong's stock value doesn't include stock assets he will inherit from his deceased father.

The younger Lee was followed by Chung Mong-koo, honorary chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, with 4.9 trillion won, which is up nearly 1 trillion won from the start of the year.

Kim Beom-su, founder and chief of South Korea's top mobile messenger operator Kakao Corp., came in third with a stock value of 4.8 trillion won, up 2.9 trillion won from the beginning of 2020.

CEO Score said the country's stock-rich rankings could change sharply once family members complete inheriting their share of wealth from the late Samsung chairman.

Hong Ra-hee, the wife of the deceased tycoon, would see her stock value soar to 12.1 trillion won, becoming the second-richest person in the country. Hong currently ranks fourth in the country's stock-rich rankings.

The late Lee's two daughters -- Boo-jin, chief of Hotel Shilla Co., and Seo-hyun in charge of the Samsung Welfare Foundation -- would jointly hold the title of South Korea's third-richest stockholder with a stock value of 7.2 trillion won each, up from the present joint 12th spot. (Yonhap)