Bang Si-hyuk of Hybe Leads Stock Gains Among Korean Tycoons in Q1
Bang Si-hyuk, who leads the influential K-pop entity Hybe, experienced the most significant increase in net worth among South Korean corporate heavyweights during the first three months of this year. His assets grew by an impressive 515.5 billion won between January and March, outpacing even well-known magnates such as Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong. Having been acknowledged as one of the key figures in large-scale conglomerate leadership last year, Bang saw his stake rise substantially due to Hybe’s stock performance—owing much to market anticipation surrounding BTS’s complete release from mandatory military duty expected in June. As Hybe’s biggest individual investor with a holding of 31.57%, he capitalized greatly on these developments.
The country's leading business figures experienced varied outcomes in the initial quarter of this year due to political unrest and fluctuations in international markets, which affected investors' attitudes. According to a study published on April 9 by the Korea CXO Institute, significant contributors were alterations in industry along with residual impacts from the United States’ previous trade policies under President Donald Trump.
In the top five following Bang were Samsung’s Lee Jae-yong, Hanwha Chairman Kim Seung-yeon, CJ Chairman Lee Jay-hyun, and Kakao founder Kim Beom-su.
Billionaires associated with fast-growing industries like defense, semiconductors, and entertainment experienced significant increases in their wealth, whereas those invested in biotech and automobiles faced declines due to market adjustments.
According to the KFTC, the report examined the stock values of 43 group leaders with personal assets surpassing 100 billion won as of late March. The total worth amounted to 57.74 trillion won, which represents a minor decrease of 0.3% compared to the initial figure of 57.92 trillion won at the start of January. Out of these individuals, 27 experienced gains whereas 16 faced declines.
Lee Jae-yong saw the second-biggest increase, with his assets rising by 321.3 billion won. By the end of March, his share value stood at 12.23 trillion won, marking a 2.7% growth since January. In March, he momentarily dropped to second place behind Meritz Financial Group Chairman Cho Jung-ho due to declines in semiconductor stocks; however, he reclaimed the top spot when these stocks recovered. At this point, Lee’s net worth was approximately 3% more than Cho’s 11.92 trillion won. It should be noted that Cho did not make the list because he has not been formally recognized as a conglomerate leader by the KFTC.
Hanwha's Kim Seung-yeon saw an increase of 237.6 billion won due to the firm's growth as a key player in the defense sector during the period of heightened worldwide military expenditure after President Trump took office. Nevertheless, his share value is anticipated to drop significantly since he intends to pass over a significant part of his equity holdings to his three offspring, one of whom is Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan. This transition is set to occur on April 30th.
Lee Jay-hyun of CJ Group saw an increase of 232.1 billion won, largely due to growing anticipation for the non-listed cosmetics retailer Olive Young. Meanwhile, Kakao’s Kim Beom-su witnessed a gain of 172.1 billion won; however, he has withdrawn from day-to-day operations following his recent diagnosis of early-stage bladder cancer.