There is one actor that consistently comes to mind when discussing the most well-known South Korean actors: Lee Min-ho. The actor, who presently holds the title of South Korea’s most followed actor on Instagram, is frequently given credit for playing a crucial part in the global spread of the Hallyu phenomenon.

The Apple TV series Pachinko, in which Lee presently appears, also stars Oscar-winning actress Youn Yuh-jung and rising star Kim Minha. The eight-part historical drama, based on Manhattan-based novelist and journalist Min Jin Lee’s best-selling book of the same name, has won over critics and audiences worldwide with its sad narrative of war and peace, love and loss, victory and reckoning.

Korean news websites claim that Lee paid 5.35 billion won (about US$4.3 million) for both villas. The surrounding properties are situated on a vast 740 square metre plot of land. Additionally, Kim So-hee, the creator and CEO of the well-known Korean label Stylenanda, and fellow actor Lee Seung-gi live nearby.

In addition to his villas in Seongbuk-dong, Lee also owns a number of other homes in Korea’s wealthiest neighborhoods. He is the owner of a nine-story building in Nonhyeon, a posh neighborhood in Gangnam. A party area, a gym, and a theatre are among the building’s occupants, and it is reputedly valued at more than $2 million USD.

Notably, Lee also has a unit in the opulent condominium complex known as Mark Hills, which is situated in Seoul’s Heukseok-dong neighborhood. The residence is a favorite among the affluent in South Korea and is home to celebrities such the actor Jang Dong Gun and his wife, the actress Ko So-young, the retired figure skater Kim Yuna, and the K-pop idol F(xKrystal)’s