5 Rich Korean Celebrity Power Couples in 2021

They’ve got it all: looks, fame, talent, ridiculous wealth and each other. Here’s a look at five wealthy couples in K-drama and K-pop

What happens when you take one rich Korean entertainer and combine him or her with another rich Korean entertainer? A super-wealthy celebrity power couple, that’s what. It may be tough for K-pop stars and K-drama actors and actresses to date publicly, and even harder to date within the industry, but once these celeb pairings are accepted and celebrated by their fans and peers, these couples become twice as rich and powerful.

Here are some wealthy Korean celeb power couples.

Rain and Kim Tae-hee

The most powerful and monied of the Korean entertainment elite is married couple Rain and Kim Tae-hee. Much has been said and written about their combined wealth and astute property investments, and the twosome is reportedly worth a whopping 81.4 billion won (US$72 million) in real estate.

Kim Tae-hee has brains and beauty, and is also a property genius—her most recent coup is selling a building in Gangnam in Seoul for a cool US$11.6 million. Even before their wedding in 2017, Kim owned buildings in Gangnam and Rain had a villa and a shopping centre, among others. These days, the couple live in a US$5 million two-storey house with a basement in Itaewon with their two daughters, and Kim also has a US$2 million house in California in the US. Rain owns a building called Rain Avenue in Cheongdam-dong in Gangnam, worth US$42 million, which is home to cafes, pubs and Rain’s entertainment company.

And the power couple doesn’t just have big bank accounts, they have big hearts too. During the economic downturn brought on by the Covid-19 crisis, both of them cut the rental fees in their buildings by half to help businesses survive.

Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin

We don’t know the true combined monetary worth of everyone’s favourite reel-life turned real-life couple, but Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin are individually two of the most successful South Korean artistes in the industry, with a slew of K-drama hits, films and high-profile endorsements under their expensive belts.

Hyun Bin is reportedly worth US$10 million, gets paid at least US$84,000 per K-drama episode, and recently landed a hot gig as Tom Ford’s Asia Pacific brand ambassador for its fragrance line. He’s also the first Korean global ambassador for luxury timepiece brand Omega, and comes from a well-to-do family, which owns buildings in some of Seoul’s most prestigious districts.

His girlfriend Son Ye-jin is worth even more, thanks to, we’re guessing, lucrative endorsement deals and her stellar 20-year career. She comes in at $20 million, owns a commercial building worth US$14.4 million in Gangnam, along with other properties, and is set to make her Hollywood debut with 2022’s The Cross. She’s also an endorsement darling, most recently glamorously fronting Valentino's new campaign. She and Hyun Bin also starred in an undoubtedly lucrative campaign for Philippines telco company Smart Communications.

Lee Hyori and Lee Sang-soon

As one of the OG K-pop girl group idols, Lee Hyori was one of the highest-paid stars of her generation and is reportedly worth about US$20 million. The 42-year-old, who’s been in the business since 1998 when she debuted with K-pop girl group Fin.K.L., was popular for her sexy image, and sought-after by brands to front ad campaigns.

She showed a different, more down-to-earth side with her reality show, Hyori’s Homestay (2017-2019), which she hosted with husband Lee Sang-soon, whom she married in 2013. The show featured illustrious guest employees such as IU, Yoona and Park Bo-gum who helped to run Hyori’s bed and breakfast in Jeju Island, and was a roaring success.

Her other half Lee Sang-soon, though not as famous as her, isn’t too shabby either. He’s a sought-after guitarist, singer-songwriter, producer, DJ and composer who’s well-respected (and paid well) for his music. Despite their wealth, the couple’s unpretentious, homely and sweet interactions in Hyori’s Homestay has endeared them to a new generation of fans.

Lee Byung-hun and Lee Min-jung

One of the most internationally well-known Korean stars thanks to films such as G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and its sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Red 2, Terminator Genisys and The Magnificent Seven, Lee is also beloved in Korea for his films such as the iconic Joint Security Area and A Bittersweet Life, and dramas Iris and Mr. Sunshine. All in all, the 50-year-old’s fame and work over 30 years has garnered him a fortune of reportedly US$20 million. He has his own management company, BH Entertainment, which manages actors such as Han Hyo-joo and Jin Goo, and is currently filming disaster thriller film Concrete Utopia with Park Seo-joon and Park Bo-young.

He’s married to actress Lee Min-jung, who most recently starred in the 2020 hit K-drama Once Again, and they have a son together. She currently stars in the much-talked-about Korean drama series The Devil Judge. Maybe the couple will eventually combine their powers and appear in a show together? You never know.

Taeyang and Min Hyo-rin

Taeyang, 33, of Big Bang, one of the most successful K-pop groups of all time, and his wife, actress Min Hyo-rin, 35, bought a house for a whopping US$13.2 million in Seoul last year, cementing their status as one of the K-entertainment world’s top earners. Taeyang, who went on to have a successful solo career after Big Bang, is worth some US$25 million, and is a savvy investor, owning several properties, as well as shares in YG Entertainment. He also rakes in royalties from his songs and has also made money from his endorsements and ad campaigns. The latest rumour is that the couple is expecting their first baby, although they have yet to confirm this. Will Taeyang and Min have a little one to spend all their millions on soon? We wait for good news.

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