Lee Ji Ah’s Hidden Family Background Revealed

Ever since Lee Ji Ah’s relationship with Seo Taiji was made public last April, many fans and press have tried to dig up more facts about this enigmatic woman, who rarely went public with her personal background.

On December 19, local media revealed some interesting facts about Lee Ji Ah’s family background, which largely remained unknown until now. It turns out her grandfather was a business tycoon that made huge contributions in the educational field, with strong connections to politicians as well.

“It is true that Lee Ji Ah is the granddaughter of the late Kim Soon Heung, and he did donate his own land to the Seoul Arts High School,” Key East Entertainment told local media.

According to Chung Dae Chul, a former lawmaker and close friend of Kim Soon Heung, Lee Ji Ah comes from an affluent family background that was wealthy even during the Japanese colonial period. They owned one of the two 6000 sq. ft. houses in the Sa Dae Moon area (the other house was owned by former Korean President Yoon Bo Sun). “Their wealth would be comparable to semi-conglomerate level,” he said.

Kim Soon Heung first made his fortune off his successful silk business. The business later grew huge, and after retirement, he spent the rest of his life on improving Korea’s educational system, as he served as the director of the prestigious Kyung Gi High School and donated land for the Seoul Arts High School.

“Most of the reports are true but we cannot tell you when Lee Ji Ah’s parents moved to the U.S. or how much fortune she personally owns since those are personal matters,” Key East said.

Meanwhile, Lee Ji Ah has comeback through MBC drama “I’m a Flower, Too,” after her brief hiatus since the divorce scandal with Seo Taiji.

Thunderstix is the Editor-in-Chief for soompi.com. You can email him at eugene@soompi.com, or follow his twitter.com feed at @eugenekim222.