1. The wealthy never trust experts 100 percent. The rich live their lives in constant contact with bankers and stockbrokers, but they do not trust them to make decisions for them, even if their information is valuable and accurate. The reason is simple: they trust their own judgment more because they are richer than their advisers.

2. Most wealthy are morning people. Successful businesspeople and the rich wake up early. They set their goals more clearly than others to live their day according to plan.

3. The wealthy live longer. They say the more money you have and the higher your position, the less stress you suffer and the longer you live. But research has shown that rather than absolute size of their fortune, people’s lifespan is determined by whether they have the confidence that they are better than the rest.

4. The wealthy respect their partners as investment consultants and advisors, rather than merely as wives or husbands.

5. The rich have "wealthy lines." The faces of the rich are lined owing to the fact that they are always smiling, Dr. Moon observes, apparently fixed in a rictus of permanent glee at their own success.

6. The wealthy have old furniture and home appliances. This is partly to save money, but also the result of their ability to maintain things well. Nor are they slaves to fashion and buy new furniture or home appliances just because styles have changed.

7. The wealthy wear understated clothes. Their clothes may look plain but they are expensive and often have a discreet label attached somewhere.

8. The wealthy invest in their children's education. The ratio of incoming Seoul National University students who are the sons of wealthy white collar workers is growing by the day.

9. Red is a symbol of wealth. The color denotes passion and strength and contains hope, says Moon.

10. The wealthy like to shop on weekdays. Partly to avoid public exposure and partly because they get better attention from salespeople, the rich avoid shopping at weekends, when the common rabble are out in force.

11. The wealthy look south. Even in the most expensive locations like the Tower Palace in Seoul's Gangnam district, prices can differ by up to W600-700 million (about US$ 600,000-700,000) depending on the direction the apartment faces. The most expensive ones face south. Anyone who has lived in a north-facing apartment in the northern hemisphere knows why.

12. The wealthy are born in mid-winter. Four out of ten of Korea's wealthy were born in winter according to the Gregorian calendar. This phenomenon holds true outside of Korea as well. 10 of the 40 self-made men selected by the business magazine Fortune were born between late December and late January.

(englishnews@chosun.com )