'Samsung Princess' Lee Boo Jin celebrates son's Seoul National University entrance ceremony

Lee Boo Jin, President and chief executive of Hotel Shilla, attends an opening ceremony of Shilla IPark Duty Free shop in Seoul, South Korea, March 25, 2016. Photo by Reuters

The ceremony was held on Feb. 26 at the university's campus in Seoul's Gwanak District.

Lee, 56, was seen smiling and holding her son's hand as they posed for commemorative photos. When asked by reporters about her thoughts on the occasion, she responded "I'm grateful," as quoted by Chosun Biz.

Her 19-year-old son Lim Dong Hyun was admitted to the Department of Economics through early admission for the 2026 academic year. His enrollment continues the Samsung family’s longstanding connection to the university, widely regarded as South Korea’s top higher education institution.

Lee's brother Lee Jae Yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics, also studied at Seoul National University, entering the Department of Asian History in 1987.

Lee's mother Hong Ra Hee, honorary director of the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art, was also present at the entrance ceremony and was photographed embracing her grandson.

Lee also attended her son’s high school graduation ceremony last month.

Lim previously attended Whimoon Middle School and Whimoon High School, both located in Seoul’s Gangnam District, where he maintained top academic standing. He was reported to have achieved near-perfect scores on the College Scholastic Ability Test.

During a talk at a private cram school in Seoul's Daechi-dong education hub earlier this year, he said he deliberately cut off smartphones and video games throughout middle and high school to protect his focus while preparing for the highly competitive CSAT, according to Maeil Business Newspaper.

Lim is Lee’s son from her marriage to Lim Woo Jae, a former Samsung employee whom she wed in 1999 in a union that drew significant public attention due to the couple’s differing backgrounds. They divorced in 2020 after a protracted legal battle. Lee retained custody of their son and paid 14.1 billion won (US$9.7 million) as part of the settlement, according to The Korea Herald.

Lee, dubbed the "Samsung Princess," currently serves as president and chief executive officer of Hotel Shilla, one of Seoul's leading luxury hotels and conference venues, as well as one of South Korea's largest duty-free operators, according to Forbes. She has also worked as an adviser to the trading division of Samsung C&T.

Beyond her corporate leadership, Lee is also active in philanthropy. She serves as director of the Dooeul Scholarship Foundation, which supports women's education. Accounts of her personal involvement, including offering hotel rooms to fire victims and checking on a taxi driver injured in an accident at Hotel Shilla, have contributed to her reputation as a hands-on executive.

As of March 1, her net worth is estimated at approximately $9.8 billion. She ranked 90th on Forbes’s list of the world’s most powerful women last year.