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Inside the lavish world of heiress Yoo Hee-ra, dubbed South Korea’s Paris Hilton

Sandy Verma | June 11, 2026 1:24 AM CST

Netflix reality star Yoo Hee-ra has captured public attention after showing up at a fashion contest carrying a suitcase filled with designer items worth more than 100 million won (US$73,000).

She appeared on Netflix’s fashion competition show “Kill It: Style Creator War,” where contestants had to exchange suitcases with their competitors.
She said she was disappointed to part with her luggage, explaining that it contained a one-of-a-kind skirt found nowhere else in the world, which had taken eight months to be delivered.

The appearance at Kill It brought Yoo Hee-ra's name back to Korean media two years after she gained fame from Netflix's reality show Super Rich in Korea.

Her appearance on the show put Yoo back in the spotlight in South Korea, two years after she became known through another Netflix series, “Super Rich in Korea.”

Yoo, also known as Aren Yoo, was born in 1999. Western media have compared her to American heiress Paris Hilton, citing her extravagant lifestyle, rare luxury collection and presence at exclusive high-end events.

In the program Super Rich in Korea, Yoo was introduced as one of 5 characters in the top 1% super-rich group living or working in Korea.

In “Super Rich in Korea,” Yoo was presented as one of five cast members from South Korea’s ultra-wealthy top 1%.

In her first appearance, Yoo took viewers into her family's 5-story house in the Hannam area, Seoul, where she used one floor exclusively. The most eye-catching space is the dressing room, about 100 square meters large, larger than the bedroom, containing dresses, shoes, accessories and many boxes of designer clothes from international fashion houses. Netflix introduces this as a room dedicated to her clothing collection.

In her debut on the show, Yoo showed viewers around her family’s five-storey house in Seoul’s Hannam-dong, where she has an entire floor to herself.
The standout feature was her roughly 100-square-meter walk-in wardrobe, larger than her bedroom, packed with clothes, shoes, accessories and piles of boxes from global luxury brands.
Netflix described it as a room reserved entirely for her personal fashion collection.

She says her philosophy is that fashion is suffering, because after wearing a dress out, she often puts it back into her collection instead of wearing it again. Rich kid Korea also expressed his wish to one day open a fashion museum from the designs he owns.

Yoo said she lives by the belief that “fashion is suffering,” adding that once she wears a dress publicly, she usually keeps it in her collection instead of wearing it again. She has also said she hopes to one day open a fashion museum to display the pieces she has collected over the years.

Yoo once showcased her privileged standing in the world of luxury fashion by hosting her 24th birthday celebration at a Dolce & Gabbana boutique in Seoul.

Yoo once highlighted her privileged access to the luxury fashion world by holding her 24th birthday party at a Dolce & Gabbana boutique in Seoul.

According to Preview magazine, the flagship store in Cheongdam-dong closed to save space for her party. This was introduced as the first time this boutique celebrated a customer's birthday in Korea.

Dolce & Gabbana’s flagship store in Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong was shut to the public for the occasion, according to Preview magazine. It was reportedly the first time the boutique had hosted a birthday party for a client in South Korea.

Yoo is also a familiar face at high-end fashion events, regularly appearing in the front row of many famous brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Gucci...

Yoo is also well known in luxury fashion circles, often seen in the front row at shows and events held by major brands including Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi and Gucci.

She has taken photos with famous figures such as Anna Wintour, Bruno Mars, Kim Kardashian...

She has also been photographed with prominent Western celebrities and fashion figures, including Anna Wintour, Bruno Mars and Kim Kardashian.

Before appearing on television, Yoo studied hotel management at Cornell University, USA. She said that she had studied in the US since high school, so she was more proficient in English than Korean.

Before making her TV debut, Yoo studied hotel management at Cornell University in the U.S. She has said that, having studied abroad since high school, she is more fluent in English than Korean.

Yoo said his current job is to connect luxury brands with customers in Korea. She not only wants to own rare designs, but also aims to bring major American fashion shows to Korea.

She said she currently works as a liaison connecting luxury brands with South Korean clients. Beyond collecting rare fashion pieces, she also aims to bring major U.S. fashion shows to South Korea.

Rich kid appeared at the red carpet of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

She walks the red carpet at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Yoo Hee-ra took a photo with striker Erling Haaland at the Dolce & Gabbana show held in Italy.

Yoo poses with football star Erling Haaland at a Dolce & Gabbana event in Italy.

Although rumored by some news sites and online communities to be the heir to Heesung Group, Yoo Hee-ra has never publicly announced her parents or confirmed the origin of her family assets.

Although some media outlets and online commentators have speculated that Yoo is an heiress to Heesung Group, a conglomerate with electronics and chemical businesses, she has never publicly revealed her parents’ identities or confirmed the source of her family’s wealth.
*All photos are from Instagram/@Arenyoo