South Korean magnate heiresses embrace YouTube to promote family brands

According to The Korea Times, Park Yi Ra, the 46-year-old daughter of Sejung Group’s founder Park Soon Ho, launched her YouTube channel Yira Week in March, where she has been sharing fashion tips, lifestyle trends, and interviews with fellow business leaders.

Park Yi Ra, heiress to Sejung Group. Photo from Park Yi Ra's Instagram

Park Yi Ra also uses her channel to promote Sejung Group, featuring videos of herself participating in corporate initiatives such as renovating low-cost housing and visiting Sejung’s retail stores. Through these efforts, she raises public awareness of Sejung Group’s products and corporate social responsibility programs.

As The Korea Herald reports, Park Yi Ra began working at Sejung Group in 2005, holding various roles including branding strategy chief. In 2016, she was promoted to CEO and executive vice president of the group.

Sejung Group, founded in 1974, is one of South Korea’s leading fashion companies, according to its LinkedIn profile. With over 1,500 stores across South Korea, the company operates numerous apparel and lifestyle brands such as WELLMADE, DIDIER DUBOT, Olivia Lauren, NII, Chris.Christy, and Bruno Baffi.

Its operations also extend to clothing manufacturing, construction, interior decorating, and IT services.

Park Yi Ra’s YouTube presence reflects a broader trend among South Korean heiresses, who are using the platform as an authentic and direct way to engage with the public. This approach distinguishes them from previous generations, helping them forge stronger connections with consumers while enhancing brand visibility.

Many of these heiresses are active in the beauty and fashion industries, where their YouTube channels serve as a platform for sharing both personal and professional insights. Their content ranges from beauty and fashion advice to behind-the-scenes glimpses into their corporate activities and social initiatives.

Ham Yon Ji, a musical actress and daughter of Ottogi Chairperson Ham Young Joon, is another heiress leveraging YouTube to promote her family’s business. As reported by the South China Morning Post, Ham Yon Ji uploaded videos of her volunteering at Goodwill, a foundation partnered with Ottogi to provide jobs to the underprivileged. Viewers subsequently flooded the comments, praising Ottogi’s chairman for his positive influence.

Ham Yon Ji, heiress to food manufacturer Ottogi. Photo from Ham Yon Ji's Instagram

Ham Yon Ji also frequently features Ottogi products in her videos, including those documenting her trips abroad to explore local markets and expand the family business.

At 32, the heiress graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She debuted in 2015 as Scarlett O’Hara in the French musical version of "Gone with the Wind," beating 300 other competitors for the role. Since then, she has appeared in musicals such as "Amadeus" and "Notre-Dame de Paris", as well as the 2016 TV drama "Still Loving You."

Founded in 1969, Ottogi produces food products including curry, seasoning, sauce, powder, processed grain products, noodles, edible oils, amongst others.

It is listed on the KOSPI 200, an index consisting of 200 big companies of South Korea’s Stock Market Division.

Other examples include Kim Ji Won, daughter of Hansae Yes24 Holdings’ Chairman Kim Dong Nyung. While she hasn’t launched her own YouTube channel, Kim frequently appears in the company’s videos, where she discusses its history, vision, and operations.

Heiresses from companies like shoe manufacturer Youngone, fashion group Hyungji, department store Shinsegae, pharmaceutical preparation manufacturing company Kolmar Korea, and cosmetics brand Tonymoly have similarly turned to YouTube to elevate their family brands in the fashion and beauty industries.

By sharing both personal insights and professional experiences, they’ve effectively used the platform to draw attention to their businesses.

Chae Moon Sun, heiress to Aekyung Group. Photo from Talitha Koum's YouTube

Chae Moon Sun, CEO of vegan beauty startup Talitha Koum and granddaughter of Chae Mong In, founder of Aekyung Group—a conglomerate involved in chemical production and the parent company of budget airline Jeju Air—recognizes YouTube as an effective tool for brand promotion. She recently launched a video series on her brand’s YouTube channel, showcasing store visits, photoshoots, and event organization to enhance the brand's visibility.

"It’s been five years since Talitha Koum was launched, but it seems not many people know about it," Chae Moon Sun, 38, said in one of the videos. "So I wanted to introduce the brand and also share a bit of my life."