Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee's heirs paid 12 trillion won in inheritance tax, the largest in Korean history

Lee Kun-hee led Samsung for more than three decades. He was convicted in 2008 and pardoned in 2009. He had a heart attack in May 2014 and was in hospital until his death at 78. His estate, about 26 trillion won in shares, property and art, owed about 12 trillion won in inheritance tax, the largest in Korean history. His widow, Hong Ra-hee, and three children paid it in six instalments from 2021. Hong and her daughters sold shares in Samsung Electronics, Samsung SDS and Samsung C&T. His son, Lee Jae-yong, sold none and paid from dividends and loans. In April 2021 the family donated about 23,000 artworks to the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and gave 1 trillion won to two hospitals. Lee Jae-yong had been jailed in January 2021 for bribery in the Park Geun-hye case. He was paroled in August 2021 and pardoned in August 2022. On 17 July 2025 the Supreme Court made final his acquittal on charges over the 2015 merger of Samsung units. The family paid the last tax instalment at the end of April 2026 and announced completion on 3 May 2026. Lee Jae-yong holds 22.01 percent of Samsung C&T. The art collection was shown at the Art Institute of Chicago from March to July 2026 and opened at the British Museum in October 2026.