Annie, left, and Song Ja-ho / Xportsnews, captured from Song's YouTube channel
An old anecdote about Annie — the Shinsegae retail heiress-turned-idol — is resurfacing online after a Korean YouTuber claimed she once hesitated over buying new AirPods as a U.S. high school student, quipping that “kids from truly rich families can be even more careful with money.”
Song Ja-ho, CEO of art firm Pica Project and himself a third-generation business heir, shared the story in a video uploaded last month titled “Gathering of Korean chaebol third-generation heirs (real review)” on his YouTube channel. A clip from the video has recently spread across Korean online communities and social media as Annie continues to draw attention following her debut in the group All Day Project.
In the video, Song said he met Annie during his high school years in the United States through a social circle of Korean international students. “Even if you’re not at the same school, Korean students abroad often know each other. We had a close group that included Annie, and we’d eat together,” he said.
Song said there was no talk at the time of Annie preparing for an idol career, but her family background was widely known among students. Annie is the granddaughter of Shinsegae Group head Lee Myung-hee and the eldest daughter of chairperson Chung Yoo-kyung, making her part of one of South Korea’s most prominent retail dynasties.
Recalling their student days, Song said, “Of course she was wealthier than me. But among international students, how rich can most families be? It’s actually kids like me from midsized business families who spend the most money.” He added, “I usually paid for meals. Real chaebol third-generation kids don’t have much cash when they’re students.”
He said one moment stayed with him: “The new AirPods had just come out. Even for a high schooler, they were only about 200,000 won ($138). But Annie was debating whether to buy them. She joked, ‘Oppa, won’t you buy them for me?’ And I remember thinking, ‘Wow, kids who are truly rich can be even more like this.’”
Annie, who debuted to major buzz as a member of rookie group All Day Project, has drawn sustained public interest in South Korea because of her lineage in the Shinsegae conglomerate family.
Song is the eldest grandson of former Dongwon Construction chairman Song Seung-heon. An art curator and entrepreneur, he publicly dated KARA member Park Gyuri from 2019 to 2021.
This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.
Source: Korea Times News
