[THE INVESTOR] Booyoung Group Chairman Lee Joong-keun, currently under trial for tax evasion, embezzlement and breach of trust, pocketed the largest amount of dividends last year among C-suite executives at unlisted Korean firms, industry data showed on April 16. 

Lee took home 59.96 billion won (US$56 million), which was more than double his share in 2016, according to data compiled by the Financial Supervisory Service and leading conglomerate tracker Chaebul.com. 

Boo-young chairman Lee Joong-keun

Following Lee, Dongeun PF CEO Choi Sung-wook earned 40 billion won dividends from affiliates such as Yeonho MS and Dongeun PF. His father, Choi Yeon-hak bagged 21 billion won to place fourth. 

In third place was Kyobo Life Insurance Chairman Shin Chang-jae, who holds 33.78 percent stake in the insurer and received dividends of 34.63 billion won. Kwon Hyuk-bin, founder of Korean game giant Smilegate, was next with 14.91 billion won, along with Aju Group Chairman Moon Kyu-young with 14.86 billion won. 

Nexon founder Kim Jung-ju followed with 14.1 billion won on the back of Nexon’s record-breaking year. 

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)