She was South Korea’s most powerful heiress — cool, composed, and born into billions.
He was her bodyguard — loyal, low-profile, and lightyears below her on the social ladder.
But when Lee Boo-jin, daughter of Samsung’s kingpin, fell for Im Woo-jae, their secret romance set the nation on fire.
What started as a forbidden love story turned into a high-society scandal, complete with betrayal, lawsuits, heartbreak, and a courtroom price tag worthy of a chaebol empire.
This wasn’t a fairy tale — it was a billion-won breakup for the ages.
Once upon a Samsung
She was born into unimaginable wealth — the daughter of Lee Kun-hee, the chairman of Samsung and one of the most powerful men in South Korea. A future CEO, groomed for greatness, Lee Boo-jin had the world at her feet.
He was Im Woo-jae — a clean-cut, soft-spoken security staffer from a Samsung affiliate. A regular guy from a modest background, tasked with protecting the very empire she was set to inherit.
It was never supposed to happen.
But in the late 1990s, against every expectation — and quite possibly every warning — Lee Boo-jin fell for her bodyguard.
The wedding that shook a dynasty (1999)
The news broke like a thunderclap. South Korea gasped as the chaebol princess married her protector.
Nicknamed “Mr. Cinderella,” Im Woo-jae became the nation’s fascination. The son of a humble taxi driver had married into the royal family of Korean capitalism. She reportedly fought tooth and nail for the marriage — even going on a hunger strike to defy her father’s disapproval.
Fairy tale? Maybe. But the cracks were already forming.
Operation Upgrade (Early 2000s)
To “level up” Im for Samsung’s elite social circles, he was sent to MIT for an MBA. On paper, it was a smart move. In reality, it was a brutal mismatch.
Behind the scenes, Im struggled. He was reportedly overwhelmed and isolated — the pressure to perform, to transform, to become “worthy” of her world — took a heavy toll. Rumors of suicide attempts and emotional breakdowns shadowed the quiet corridors of the program.
Meanwhile, Lee Boo-jin was rising fast within the family empire. She took the reins at Hotel Shilla and began making a name for herself as a shrewd, stylish executive.
The child and the silence (2003)
Their son was born — a boy who could have bridged two worlds.
But it wasn’t enough.
The fairy tale ends (2012)
After more than a decade of marriage, the couple quietly separated. Divorce papers followed in 2014. What began as a love story now played out in legal documents and tabloid headlines.
Im refused to go quietly. He demanded 1.2 trillion won (about $1 billion USD) in settlement — a move that stunned the public and sent gossip columns into overdrive.
The case would drag on for years, growing more bitter by the day.
A courtroom drama like no other (2015–2020)
By 2017, the court ruled in Boo-jin’s favor, granting her custody of their son and ordering a payout of 8.6 billion won to Im — far less than what he asked, but still eye-watering to most.
Im appealed.
In 2019, the number was bumped to 14.1 billion won (roughly $11.7 million USD), and he was granted visitation rights to see his son twice a month. Even then, the court battles felt more like war than closure.
Finally, in 2020, the divorce was finalized by Korea’s Supreme Court.
Life imitates K-drama
Their story was so dramatic — forbidden love, social barriers, betrayal, and courtrooms — that it’s believed to have inspired the hit K-drama Queen of Tears. And honestly? It tracks.
A powerful woman. A man from humbler beginnings. A love that collapses under the weight of family, duty, and difference.
After the storm
Today, Lee Boo-jin is back in control — as CEO of Hotel Shilla, steering it into the global luxury sphere. Her net worth is estimated around $3.3 billion, and she’s one of Korea’s most powerful women.
Im Woo-jae, meanwhile, faded from the spotlight. After years of very public legal battles, he slipped into silence — no business ventures, no interviews, no spotlight.
Some fairy tales just don’t come true.