If you think BTS and BLACKPINK are the ultimate K-pop gurus, let’s introduce you to Lee Hyori. Reigning the popularity charts in South Korea in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Lee Hyori is dubbed as the ‘Nation’s fairy’ and no one can surpass her. In a career spanning more than 25 years, Lee Hyori has surely amassed impressive wealth and her net worth makes her one of the top 10 richest K-pop stars even today. Curious to know more? Keep reading.
Rising to fame as the leader of the popular girl group Fin. K.L, Hyori later debuted as a solo artist and the rest is history. The poster girl for Soju, the face of Samsung, the star of variety shows and the winner of innumerable music awards – Hyori has conquered showbiz with her unbeatable stage presence and badass personality.
The ‘Hyori syndrome’: Understanding the star’s massive influence
Back in 1998, Hyori gained prominence as the leader, lead vocalist, and face of the first-generation K-Pop group, Fin. K.L. At a time when K-pop was like a new, rough-cut (and low-key corny), few artists like Hyori, Psy and more shone bright like diamonds.
Did you know that following Fin. K.L.’s disbandment, Lee came out with an infectious solo hip-hop song 10 Minute, that catapulted her into a sensation overnight. During her career’s apex, her effect on the public was dubbed the “Hyori syndrome.” Talk about stardom! This was a time when corporate giants like Samsung and Hyundai were chasing her for ambassadorship roles and every big agency wanted to sign her.
From popularising the dark eyeliner look and ‘DIY weddings’ to bringing leather leggings and sky-high heels in vogue – Hyori was (and continues to be) a trendsetter. More than two decades later, Hyori still commands an insane level of respect and admiration. Each of her song releases becomes viral, and all her endorsements turn into gold.
Allkpop recently cited an online forum from 2022, which claimed that Lee Hyori charged anywhere between 10 million and 15 million KRW (around USD 7,300 to USD 11,000) for appearing on various variety programs. Moreover, Kbizoom reported that Hyori’s annual advertising fee is the industry’s highest at 700 million won (approx 539,000 USD). This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the star’s net worth catalogue.
Here’s a breakdown of Lee Hyori’s net worth, her brand deals, and the most expensive assets she owns.
What is the net worth of Lee Hyori?
According to the South China Morning Post, Lee Hyori’s net worth is anywhere between USD 30-40 million (INR 251 – 334 crore approx.) as of 2021. This figure makes her one of the highest-paid female K-pop idols, joining the leagues of IU, Bae Suzy, Yoona and more.
While Hyori isn’t as active in showbiz now as she was a decade or so ago, her star power still shines through. Soompi reported that at one point, she was the highest-paid female singer in South Korea. Moreover, multiple brand ranking surveys have claimed that her brand power is the strongest among female entertainers.
Lee Hyori’s Discography: Rising to popularity with Fin. K.L, solo releases and more
Lee Hyori amassed much of her wealth during her early days as a part of Fin.K.L’s (Fin Killing Liberty) promotions and activities as well as the revenues generated via their music releases, endorsement deals, and TV show appearances. They released a total of six studio albums from 1998 to 2002, selling over two million albums. From Blue Rain to To My Boyfriend – the band’s smashing hits established them as the best first-gen K-pop girl group.
She finally made her solo debut in 2003 with the release of Stylish...E. It sold over 150,000 copies, with the song 10 Minutes bagging her multiple awards including KBS Music Awards, SBS Gayo Daejeon, Mnet Music Video Festival and more. 2003 was all about the ‘Hyori syndrome’ and was dubbed as the ‘year of Hyori’.
As a soloist, Hyori has released a total of six albums and 24 singles. She has sold more than 400,000 albums and seven million digital singles.
Coming to television, Lee has been a host and main cast on several shows, including her own JTBC reality show, Hyori’s Homestay, which achieved massive success and returned for a second season. From hosting prime-time variety shows, appearing in multiple shows and starring in movies like Emergency Act 19 and Dancing Queen – she has explored all avenues in showbiz.
The star’s brand deals and advertisements
In 2023, South Korean singer-songwriter Jung Jae-hyung discussed Lee Hyori’s brand power on his YouTube Channel. Hyori’s husband Lee Sang-soon mentioned that in 2023, she “probably received the most casting calls among all musicians.”
Later, Hyori revealed she received about 100 advertising offers, which can fill up 3 to 4 A4-sized papers, According to Kbizoom, Hyori has taken on around five new commercials recently. Her earnings from these are calculated to fall around 3.5 billion won (approx USD 2.7 million).
Over the years, Hyori has minted endorsement deals with Samsung, Lotte Liquor, Isa Knox, Biotherm, Black Bean Therapy, KB Card, Calvin Klein as well as Adidas.
In October last year, Hyori’s first commercial in almost 10 years was released by shopping platform Lotte On. According to Koreaboo, it garnered more than two million views within a week of its release and increased the mention of Lotte On online by almost double the rate before. According to the publication, Lotte On’s sales increased by more than 40% compared to last year. Now that’s what we call the Hyori effect.
What’s even better is that Hyori decided to do brand endorsements again to earn more money and donate to good causes.
Lee Hyori’s sprawling properties
Hyori has been a keen investor in real estate, shelling out a considerable amount of her wealth in buying and selling properties. She reportedly sold USD 6 million (INR 50 crore approx.) worth of real estate, including her famous Hyori’s Homestay bed-and-breakfast house.
According to K-pop Starz, Hyori bought a building in Hannam-Dong in October 2019, along with her husband Lee Sang Soon for around USD 5 million (INR 41 crore approx.). The commercial complex has a plethora of Korean and seafood restaurants alongside some offices.
Her philanthropy efforts
Lee has always been big on philanthropy. She leads a really simple and straightforward lifestyle, giving away earnings from a lot of her songs/ brand deals/ variety TV appearances towards charitable causes. Recently, she donated about USD 221,000 (INR 1 crore approx.) to The Beautiful Foundation on October 19 to support single mothers in need. The money will go towards providing emergency aid for low-income single mothers as well as customised vocational training, education, and social networking for them.
She has previously ‘donated around USD 100,000 (INR 83 lakh approx.) to the same foundation to aid disadvantaged senior citizens who need heating during winter. She’s also one of the most high-profile animal rights activists in the country and has previously released two charity songs for donation to animal shelters.
All of this and more make Lee Hyori an exceptional star!
Hero image: Courtesy froggie799/Instagram; Feature image: Courtesy lee_hyolee/Instagram
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– How rich is Lee Hyori?
According to the South China Morning Post, Lee Hyori’s net worth is anywhere between USD 30-40 million as of 2021.
– Who is Lee Hyori’s husband?
Lee Sang-soon is Lee Hyori’s husband.
