South Korean millionaire (1979–2005)
Lee Yoon-hyung (Korean: 이윤형; c. 1979 – November 18, 2005) was a South Korean millionaire who is the daughter of Samsung Group former chairman Lee Kun-hee. On November 18, 2005, Lee died by suicide at the age of 26 in her New York City apartment.[1]
Early life and education
Lee was born in South Korea. Her father was Samsung former chairman Lee Kun-hee, and her mother was Hong Ra-hee. She was the youngest of the four children; she had an elder brother Lee Jae-yong and two elder sisters Lee Boo-jin and Lee Seo-hyun.
Lee graduated from Ewha Womans University in Seoul with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French language and French literature.[2] She was a first year graduate student in arts management at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.[1]
Death
Her cause of death was originally reported in both American and South Korean media as a car crash due to the social stigma against suicide, but the actual details were subsequently published after inquiries by reporters from The Korea Times.[1]
At the time of her death, Lee was a graduate student at the New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, and her father was in the United States undergoing treatment for lung cancer.[3] A doorman at her building told reporters that she sometimes stayed in her apartment for a week at a time,[3] and there were reports that her father had forbidden her to marry her middle-class Korean boyfriend.[3]
At the time of her death, Lee had a personal fortune of more than £100 million (US$157 million).[3]
Personal life
In 2003, it was revealed that she owned $191 million of Samsung stock.[1]
In her spare time, she was very keen on car racing and many extreme sports. She also launched a personal blog to show her daily life to the public and it became very popular in South Korea.[4]
References
