Six Koreans newly make world’s billionaire list

Thirty-six Koreans are making the list of the world’s richest people for this year. Six of them are new faces that have joined the ranks of the world’s billionaires for the first time.

According to China-based Hurun Institute’s "2019 ranking of the global rich" released recently, the world has 2,470 billionaires with an asset of 6.8 billion yuan (1 billion U.S. dollars) as of late January. The list includes 36 Korean nationals, up three from last year. Korea rose to 14th in overall country rankings this year from 13th last year.

Bang Jun-hyuk, chairman of Netmarble, and Yoo Jung-hyun, auditor of NXC and the wife of NXC CEO Kim Jong-joo, ranked 1,164th by posting 15 billion yuan or 2.2 billion dollars each.

Also making the list were Koo Gwang-mo, chairman of LG Group (1,286th, 13.5 billion yuan or 2 billion dollars), Chey Ki-won, chairwoman of SK Happiness Foundation (1,806th, 9.5 billion yuan or 1.4 billion dollars), and Koo Bon-neung, chairman of Heesung Group, and Koo Bon-joon, vice chairman of LG Group (2,154th, 7.5 billion yuan or 1.1 billion dollars each).

Lee Kun-hee, Samsung Electronics chairman and Korea’s richest man (66th, 110 billion yuan or 16 billion dollars), was the only Korean to make the list of the 100 richest in the world. Cho Yang-rae, chairman of Hankook Tire Worldwide, Cho Chang-geol, honorary chairman of Hanssem, and Koo Bon-moo, the late chairman of LG Group, were excluded from the list this year.


Ji-Sun Choi aurinko@donga.com