[NewsSpace=JeongYoung Kim]  Lee Jae-Yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics, visited Samsung Electronics' Giheung and Hwaseong campuses to reaffirm his commitment to semiconductor leadership "Utra-Gap" for future competitiveness.

This is interpreted as a sign that he intends to succeed and develop the management legacy of his father, the late Lee Kun-Hee, chairman of Samsung Group, at a symbolic site where Samsung's semiconductor business was born ahead of his 1st anniversary as chairman on the 27th.

The visit is also interpreted as a reflection of Lee's intention to personally oversee the resurgence of the semiconductor business, which appears to be at the end of the crisis.

According to Samsung Electronics on the 19th, Lee visited the Giheung and Hwaseong campuses in the afternoon to tour the construction site of the next-generation semiconductor R&D complex and check on semiconductor strategies.

Lee received a briefing on the development of next-generation semiconductor technologies at the management meeting that day, and discussed ways to enhance competitiveness in all areas of semiconductors, including memory, foundry, and system semiconductors. He is taking direct charge of the future competitiveness of the semiconductor business at a time when the worst semiconductor downturn since the second half of last year appears to be coming to an end.

Lee Jae-Yong is known to have stressed the importance of unwavering technological leadership and pre-emptive investment, urging, "We need to create an opportunity for innovation for the semiconductor business to rebound again amid continued domestic and international crises."

The Giheung campus of Samsung Electronics was the center of the semiconductor success story, including the development of the world's first 64M DRAM in 1992, the achievement of the No. 1 DRAM market share in 1992, and the achievement of the No. 1 position in the memory semiconductor field in 1993.

Lee also chose Giheung Campus as his first official destination after his release from prison last year. The view is that Lee's visit to Giheung Campus again a year after attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the semiconductor R&D complex is a sign that he is so committed to the semiconductor business.

The management meeting held at the Samsung Electronics semiconductor research institute on the day was attended by executives from the DS division, including Kyung Kye-Hyun, head of the Device Solution (DS) division (CEO), Lee Jeong-Bae, head of the Memory Business Division (president), Choi Si-Young, head of the Foundry Business Division (president), and Song Jae-Hyuk, chief technology officer (CTO) of the DS division (president).

 

Meanwhile, Lee attended a memorial music concert for the 3rd anniversary of the late Lee Kun-Hee, chairman of Samsung Electronics, held at the Samsung Electronics Human Resources Development Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, in the afternoon. In this place, along with Hong Lae-hee, former director of Samsung Museum of Art Leeum, and Lee Seo-hyun, chairman of Samsung Welfare Foundation, about 1,000 people, including Samsung employees, local residents, and partners, gathered to commemorate the late chairman.

A business official explained, "If Lee Jae-Yong's visit to Giheung is interpreted as his intention to succeed the management legacy of the late Lee Kun-hee, chairman of Samsung Electronics, who pioneered the semiconductor industry, the afternoon memorial music concert is a vow to continue the will to contribute to society by nurturing cultural and artistic infrastructure."

On October 25, the 3rd anniversary of the death of the late chairman, memorial events are continuing, such as the "Memorial of Lee Kun-hee, Chairman of Samsung, and the 30th Anniversary of Samsung New Management International Academic Conference" hosted by the Korean Academy of Management with the support of Samsung Global Research on the 18th.