SEOUL, October 30 (AJP) - Samsung heiress and Hotel Shilla president Lee Boo-jin has reportedly moved back to her home in Seoul's tony district of Yongsan just north of the Han River.
Her recent relocation from Daechi-dong in the capital's upscale district of Gangnam clustered with crammers, to the quieter neighborhood appears to be related with her son's graduation from high school.
According to industry sources, Lee lived in Daechi-dong throughout her son's middle and high school years to support his studies and has now returned to the neighborhood traditionally known as an enclave for the conglomerate's family members.
The move is seen to reflect South Korean parents' obsessive zeal for their children's education, as another familiar case, since most of them are often willing to make huge sacrifices to give their children an advantage in life.
In particular, it has become the norm for wealthy parents including those from family-owned conglomerates known as chaebol, to send their children to private elite schools in the country and to prestigious universities overseas.
This looks to be part of a strategy not only for enhancing their academic achievements but also for building networks and preparing them for future opportunities.
This trend is evident in many previous cases. For example, Hanwha Group chairman Kim Seung-youn's sons graduated from prestigious schools in the U.S., while SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won's daughters studied in China and the U.S. Scions of LG families also attended certain universities in the U.S., where they built networks and formed special connections among themselves.
One business insider said, "Major conglomerates like Samsung view education not only as a course to groom successors but also as an essential part of building business leadership."
* This article, published by Economic Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
