'The Manager'
On the October 7th episode of MBC's variety show 'The Manager', Lee Seong-hoon, known for his appearance on 'Single's Inferno 5', made a notable appearance.
Lee Seong-hoon, a former Google engineer and now a quant trader, caught attention with his impressive credentials. He shared, "I arrived from the U.S. on Monday and will be leaving over the weekend," highlighting his busy schedule.
Addressing rumors of being the 'grandson of former President Lee Myung-bak' due to his resemblance, Lee clarified, "There are some similarities, but the fact is, I'm not his grandson," expressing his surprise over the 'bloodline controversy'.
Lee mentioned that even his friends were skeptical about his identity, stating, "Before the show, no one ever said I looked like him. I feel sorry for the unnecessary rumors."
Born in Korea but having studied in the U.S. since the age of 8, Lee is more comfortable speaking English. Describing his role as a 'quant trader', he explained, "I am an expert in high-level numerical calculations that predict stock price changes 0.0001 seconds ahead."
When asked by Jeon Hyun-moo if he invests personally, Lee replied, "I mainly invest in the U.S., cryptocurrency, and Chinese markets. However, due to U.S. government restrictions, there are trading time limitations. I can't buy today and sell tomorrow; there's a required holding period."
When asked about his returns, Lee confidently stated, "It's in the red," showcasing his expertise. Jeon Hyun-moo expressed envy, saying, "It's a complete bull market," while Yoo Byung-jae humorously asked, "How much do you have in your account?"
Lee Seong-hoon wasn't initially popular on 'Single's Inferno 5'. Reflecting on his school days, he shared, "I wasn't very popular back then either. I was more of a model student, so I met people who liked that style."
Known for his straightforward romantic approach, Lee revealed his attraction to Choi Min-su, saying, "From the first meeting when she wore a yellow dress, I was captivated. She had an aura befitting Miss Korea, and we could converse in English."
When Jeon Hyun-moo asked if his mother liked Min-su, Lee admitted, "She seems to like her very much," unable to hide his excitement.
Meanwhile, Lee's luxurious Han River-view residence in Korea was also revealed. When Jeon Hyun-moo asked about the rumored maximum salary of 3 trillion won for quant traders, Lee humorously replied, "If I earned 1 trillion, I wouldn't be here. I'd be too busy for this," adding, "In specialized fields, salaries can be extremely high or not."
Kim Eun-jung, Ten Asia Reporter eun@tenasia.co.kr