Fame and wealth may be what hot celebrities commonly gain. In addition to these, some of the stars accumulate their wealth in real-estate. Against this backdrop, The Korea Herald has singled out the top five celebrities who drew attention for their real estate assets. The below may not necessarily reflect the accurate level of their income as it is only listed in terms of the buildings they own.
1. Lee Soo-man
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SM Entertainment founding chairman Lee Soo-man topped the chart for owning a building worth more than 19 billion won ($18 million). This, however, is only the standard market price suggested by the National Tax Service. The actual sales price is estimated at three times higher -- around 55 billion won, real estate experts said.
The building is located in Apgujeong, a rich area in Seoul.
2. Seo Tai-ji
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Korean legendary musician Seo Tai-ji owns two buildings, each in Gangnam and Jongno, Seoul, respectively. The sum of the two is estimated at 16 billion won.
3. Yang Hyun-suk
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YG Entertainment founder Yang Hyun-suk possesses two buildings near Hongdae, western Seoul, with one of these believed to be the YG headquarters building.
The two buildings cost more than 15 billion won, sources said.
A popular hip-hop club and restaurants are run in one of the buildings.
4. Rain
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Singer Rain is also one of the few real estate rich. Owning two buildings worth about 8.7 billion won and 3.4 billion won, in Cheongdam-dong and Sinsa-dong, respectively, Rain owns buildings in the most expensive area in Seoul.
5. Kwon Sang-woo
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Rather than buying a building, hallyu star Kwon Sang-woo built his own last year. Located in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, which is 30 kilometers from central Seoul, the building is named Rookie 1129 after Kwon’s son. The number refers to the actor’s mother’s birthday.
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The seven-story building, including one basement, received the excellence award last year at Korea’s rising architect awards for its unconventional design and unique use of space.
(
khnews@heraldcorp.com)
