'Samsung Princess' Lee Boo-jin makes rare appearance at graduation ceremony of Seoul National University-bound son

The president and CEO of Hotel Shilla was present at the graduation ceremony of her son, Lim Dong-hyun, at Whimoon High School in Seoul’s Gangnam District on Monday. It marked a rare public appearance at a family event for the daughter of the late Samsung chairman.

Dubbed the "Samsung Princess," she was accompanied by her aunt, Hong Ra-young, former deputy director of the Samsung Museum of Art, according to The Korea Daily.

Throughout the ceremony, Lee Boo-jin maintained a warm and approachable demeanor, smiling and singing along during the school band's performance, in which her son served as lead vocalist.

After the performance, she went on stage to present flowers and congratulate her son. While posing for photos, she apologized to attendees, expressing concern that the crowd might be inconvenienced by the cameras focused on her, as reported by The Korea Times.

Lim Dong-hyun graduated with distinction, receiving the Principal’s Award, an award from the Gangnam District Office, and a scholarship from the Whimoon Foundation.

The ceremony came just months after he was admitted to the Economics program at Seoul National University through its highly competitive early admissions track for the 2026 academic year. The university is widely regarded as South Korea's most prestigious.

Lim drew public attention last week when he appeared as a guest speaker at a private cram school in Daechi-dong.

Addressing students preparing to enter high school, he shared that his study strategy involved "completely cutting off smartphones and video games for three years" to focus on university entrance exams, according to The Korea Times.

Lee Boo-jin is one of South Korea’s leading businesswomen and the second daughter of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee and Hong Ra-hee.

Lee Boo-jin, daughter of Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee and president and chief executive of Hotel Shilla, arrives to preside over the annual general meeting of the hotel stockholders in Seoul in 2012. Photo by Reuters

Born in 1970, she graduated from Yonsei University and joined Samsung in 1995, holding various management roles in the hospitality and service sectors. Since 2010, she has served as CEO and president of Hotel Shilla, transforming the company into a major player in luxury hospitality and duty-free retail across Asia.

Known for her decisive leadership style, modern image and private personal life, she is regarded as one of the most powerful and influential women among South Korea's business elite.

She married Im Woo-jae, then a Samsung employee, in 1999 -- a rare cross-class union within South Korea’s conglomerate circles. Lim is the couple's only child, Lim, born in 2007.

Their nearly two-decade marriage ended in a highly publicized divorce finalized in 2020 after years of legal disputes over child custody and assets.

Since then, Lee Boo-jin has focused on leading Hotel Shilla and raising her son while maintaining a low public profile.