The divorce lawsuit between SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won and Noh So-young, director of the Nabi Art Center, along with public interest in Choi's partner, Kim Hee-young, continues to draw attention. In this context, the relationship between the late Shin Kyuk-ho, founder of the Lotte Group, and actress Seo Mi-kyung is being revisited.
On the 15th, various online communities and social media platforms saw a resurgence of content related to a segment aired last April on TV Chosun's 'Modern Figures: Mistery.' The broadcast highlighted the scandal involving Chairman Shin Kyuk-ho and Seo Mi-kyung, as well as stories surrounding the Lotte family.
Seo Mi-kyung debuted as a top star in the 1970s after winning the 'Miss Lotte' pageant. With her pure looks and exceptional star quality, she gained popularity in films, television, and advertisements. However, she abruptly retired from the entertainment industry in her early twenties in the early 1980s to study abroad.
The reasons behind her departure became clear years later. Seo maintained a long-term de facto marriage with Chairman Shin Kyuk-ho, who was 38 years her senior, and gave birth to their daughter, Shin Yu-mi. Although they never officially registered their marriage, Seo and her daughter have lived quietly, avoiding public exposure.
After a period of being out of the public eye, the names of Seo and her daughter resurfaced in the 2000s as details about the Lotte Group's share structure and the assets of the owner family became known.
According to publicly available information, Seo Mi-kyung and her daughter Shin Yu-mi hold significant shares in Lotte-related companies, including Yuwon Industrial and Yugi Development. Notably, Yuwon Industrial previously enjoyed a monopoly in the Lotte Cinema concession business, generating substantial profits and becoming embroiled in controversy over preferential treatment.
Additionally, it was revealed that Seo and her daughter hold a considerable stake in Japan's Lotte Holdings, a key component of the Lotte Group's governance structure, making them significant players in any future management disputes or inheritance processes. Their holdings were substantial compared to the personal stakes of the owner family, drawing considerable interest.
Once a glamorous top star in the 1970s, Seo Mi-kyung has remained largely out of the public eye since her sudden departure from the entertainment industry in her early twenties. However, as the de facto spouse of a chaebol leader with considerable assets, she has once again captured public attention.
The relationship between Shin Kyuk-ho and Seo Mi-kyung is often recalled whenever issues surrounding extramarital affairs, cohabitation, inheritance, and asset disputes in modern chaebols arise.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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