[News Space=Reporter seungwon lee] June 23 is Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s 56th birthday. The weather on June 23, 1968, the day he was born, was occasionally cloudy but clear. The main articles on the front page and a total of 8 pages of the Chosun Ilbo at the time are as follows. 

 

 

 

 

The front page that day featured articles on the limits of warrantless detention, the French general election, and a high-level meeting at the White House. In particular, the front page advertisement for the monthly general magazine Sasanggye at the bottom stands out. It was founded in 1953 by Jang Jun-ha in the provisional capital of Busan during the war, and later discovered modern Korean writers such as Hwang Sok-yong, Kim Ji-ha, and Lee Cheong-jun through Sasanggye. However, in May 1970, it was shut down due to a problem with the publication of Kim Ji-ha's "Five Bandits", and it ended with issue 205. "Five Bandits" likened the corrupt reality of the Korean ruling class to the Five Bandits, including Lee Wan-yong, who sold out the country during the Eulsa Treaty, and depicted conglomerates, members of the National Assembly, high-ranking civil servants, military generals, and ministers and vice-ministers as thieves.

 

 

 

 

Let's find out some hidden truths that are meaningful, fun, and interesting that happened on Chairman Lee Jae-yong's birthday.

 

◆ Father's birthday present

 

What did the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee give Chairman Lee Jae-yong as a birthday present? Since he was a conglomerate, a supercar that is rare in the world? A fancy and luxurious house? Chairman Lee Kun-hee gave his son a 'social contribution list' as a birthday present. That's why, every year at Samsung, whenever there is something to celebrate, such as a promotion of an executive, they give 'social contribution' as a congratulatory gift.

 

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong has also been secretly supporting Joseph's Clinic, which treats extremely poor patients in shantytowns, and has been doing good deeds for underprivileged neighbors in blind spots of society, such as free clinics for foreign workers and childcare facilities, for over 30 years.

 

 

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Guide Dog School, which inherited the will of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who declared “New Management” in June 1993 (“Everything except my wife and children must be changed. If we don’t change now, we will never be first-class.” Frankfurt Declaration), is also the hidden achievement of Chairman Lee Jae-yong. Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Guide Dog School is the world’s first and the only case of corporate operation. At the time of its establishment, there were greater concerns than expected and even criticism, but it has silently played its role. Everyone applauds the vision and conviction of Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who started the guide dog business, and the tenacity of Chairman Lee Jae-yong, who has continued its precious meaning to this day.

 

 

◆ MERS, Lee Jae-yong's Apology, and the Coronation of Tears

On June 23, 2015, when the MERS outbreak was at its peak, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong issued a public apology. It was an apology in response to criticism that Samsung Seoul Hospital had failed in its initial response to MERS and had become the epicenter of its spread. Vice Chairman Lee apologized for Samsung Seoul Hospital’s inadequate initial response and spoke about group-level support and improvement measures. This apology not only received a great deal of public sympathy, but was also evaluated by companies as the “standard of apologies,” “textbook of apologies,” and “the best of apologies.” 

 

It was also reported that Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong held his first official press conference as the group's representative. He mentioned his father, Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who was lying in a hospital bed, saying, "I bow my head in apology for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) incident," and shed tears as he said, "I understand, even if only a little, the anxiety and pain that the patients and their families have experienced." 

 

 

That day happened to be Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s birthday. Vice Chairman Lee, who turned 47 on that day, bowed his head twice during his first official press conference. The business community speculated that this was the beginning of Vice Chairman Lee’s responsible management.

 

He spoke of 'apology' and 'responsibility' with a sincere voice, and by bowing his head directly to the people, he impressed upon the people the image of a 'responsible leader'. Of course, he did not receive congratulatory gunfire, applause, or cheers, but instead, the 'coronation' was held on his birthday in silence and solemnity.

 

On the night of May 10, 2014, about a year before Vice Chairman Lee’s public apology, Chairman Lee Kun-hee collapsed from acute myocardial infarction at his home in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Chairman Lee, who was experiencing severe respiratory distress, was immediately transferred to the nearby Soonchunhyang University Hospital, where he received CPR and was transferred to Samsung Seoul Hospital in the early morning of the 11th. It was the most urgent and longest night for Samsung Group.

 

In addition, whenever there was a national crisis, Chairman Lee Jae-yong took the initiative as a 'problem solver'. In 2022, when the number of confirmed cases per day approached 200,000 and the demand for self-diagnosis kits for COVID-19 skyrocketed, causing problems in the supply of self-diagnosis kits, Samsung Electronics supported the expansion of production by building a 'smart factory' for diagnostic kits using its process know-how accumulated in the semiconductor and home appliance industries.

 

Whenever there was a shortage of COVID-19 quarantine supplies, the company played a leading role as a COVID-19 relief pitcher by improving the productivity of quarantine supplies through the smart factory construction project. In addition to diagnostic devices, the company also established a mass production system for the 'LDS (lowest residual) syringe' that can minimize the remaining vaccine stock, as well as supplying masks. Furthermore, Samsung's nationwide training centers and research institutes were provided free of charge to the public to resolve the shortage of domestic hospital beds.

 

 

◆ On the birthday of 1998, Samsung Electronics Anycall PCS new product 'Flip Up' was released

 

Among the many products that made today's Samsung Electronics, the new Anycall PCS, which was a big hit in the 1990s and was known as a nationwide product, was coincidentally released on his birthday. In June 1998, Samsung Electronics launched a large-scale advertising and marketing campaign using top models at the time, such as Kim Hyun-joo and Heo Jun-ho, ahead of the release of the Anycall PCS version flip-up. Even now, the release of new versions of mobile phones and smartphones is of great interest to consumers. It is interesting that the new product was released on June 23, 1998.

 

 

 

 

 

◆ Choi Soon-sil and Lee Jae-yong, who are the same zodiac sign and have the same birthday… Celebrating their birthdays twice in detention centers

Choi Soon-sil, who was called the "number one in the power hierarchy of South Korea" during the Park Geun-hye administration, and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, the "best conglomerate in Korea," both had gloomy birthdays on June 23, 2017. Coincidentally, the two people, who were born in the year of the monkey, spent the saddest birthday of their lives going back and forth between the detention center and the court.

 

On this day, Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, who is at the age of 'Jicheonmyeong' (知天命), meaning 'knowing the will of heaven', attended the trial on charges of providing hundreds of billions of won in bribes to Choi and former President Park. On this day, Vice Chairman Lee had lunch from a food truck that was dispatched from the Seoul Detention Center to the Central District Court.

 

For Vice Chairman Lee, who has become a 'body in prison', his birthday in 2017 is his 'second nightmare'. The first nightmare was his 48th birthday on June 23, 2015. It was the happiest day of the year, but he had two depressing birthdays.

◆ The day the victim's side was taken in the 'Leukemia Administrative Lawsuit' was also Lee Jae-yong's birthday

 

 On June 23, 2011, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of two victims in the first trial of a leukemia administrative lawsuit.

 

While working at a Samsung semiconductor factory, Yu-mi Hwang died of acute leukemia in 2007. Yu-mi, who was about to graduate from high school, joined Samsung Semiconductor’s Giheung factory in October 2003 with 10 classmates, thinking about her difficult family circumstances. However, in late May 2005, less than two years after joining the company, Yu-mi began to experience unusual symptoms. She was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia after going to Ajou University Hospital. This was only 1 year and 8 months after she started working as an operator (an employee who operates automated machines and inspects products at a semiconductor factory) at Samsung Electronics’ Giheung semiconductor factory Line 3.

 

On November 20, 2007, the 'Samsung Semiconductor Group Leukemia Truth Finding and Labor Basic Rights Securing Countermeasures Committee' (hereafter referred to as the Countermeasures Committee) was launched at the main gate of the Suwon Samsung Electronics Semiconductor Giheung Plant. In order to conduct both offline and online activities, the Countermeasures Committee opened a cafe called 'Semiconductor Workers' Health and Human Rights Guardians, Banollim' on an internet portal site and has since operated under the name of Banollim.

 

Samsung Semiconductor admitted that one of its employees had leukemia and died from it, but denied any connection between the leukemia and work. In December 2007, an epidemiological investigation and evaluation committee was held on the connection between leukemia and work, but no clear conclusion was reached.

 

Coincidentally, on June 23, 2011, Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s birthday, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of two victims in the first trial of the leukemia administrative lawsuit. The court ruled that the two victims, Hwang Yu-mi and Lee Sook-young, who were diagnosed with leukemia and died while working at a Samsung semiconductor plant, had “considered that hazardous chemicals were being used at Samsung’s Giheung plant and that they were continuously exposed,” and revoked the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service’s denial of industrial accident recognition. In other words, Hwang Yu-mi and Lee Sook-young were recognized as industrial accident victims (the other three victims lost in the Supreme Court on August 30, 2016).

 

In August, Samsung Electronics finalized the details of the 'Support System for Retired Employees with Cancer' and announced that it would provide medical expenses and death benefits for a total of 14 types of diseases, including leukemia. In May 2014, Samsung issued an apology under the name of CEO Kwon Oh-hyun.

 

 

◆ A chaebol with a popularity comparable to that of a celebrity...even an Instagram fan page

 

If you were to pick the most popular person among the current conglomerate leaders, it would naturally be Chairman Lee Jae-yong. With his tall height of 182cm and handsome appearance, Chairman Lee enjoys popularity comparable to that of a celebrity. Sometimes, he strikes cute poses at the airport or at events, and is called 'Petit Jae-yong', surpassing the former chairman's 'Petit Geuni (Kun-hee)'.

 

This chairman never misses the top spot in any field. This year, he proudly took first place in the stock rich list. He did not fall behind in his studies during his school days. He graduated from Kyungbok High School and Seoul National University’s Department of Oriental History, and received an MBA from the prestigious Keio University Graduate School of Business Administration in Japan, and completed a doctoral program in business administration at Harvard University in the United States. 

 

Chairman Lee also has a history of being an equestrian. He took over as the de facto leader when former Chairman Lee passed away on October 25, 2020. Chairman Lee was promoted to chairman on October 27, 2022, through the Samsung Electronics board of directors, and was reappointed as chairman on November 1, the anniversary of Samsung Electronics' founding. 

 

 

Chairman Lee Jae-yong is so popular among MZ generation conglomerate leaders that he even has his own fan page on Instagram.

 The account has been in operation since August 2020. As of the 23rd, it has 487,000 followers. Of the 157 posts, many are mainly media photos related to Chairman Lee's schedule and movements. Some people even used expressions that could be mistaken for Chairman Lee himself. Some people are also concerned that excessive fandom could be seen as an 'impersonation' of Chairman Lee.

 

Samsung Electronics has repeatedly emphasized that “the chairman’s official account does not exist,” but is not taking any additional action as there has been no direct damage. Currently, among the heads of the four largest conglomerates in Korea, only Chairman Choi Tae-won has an official Instagram account.

◆ Who is the celebrity with the same birthday? Find out your zodiac sign by birthday

 

Which celebrity has the same birthday as Chairman Lee Jae-yong?

 

These include singer Seol Woon-do (1958), comedian Kim Young-chul (1974), actress Lim Ji-yeon (1990), former member of idol group Jewelry Jo Min-ah (1984), singer Yan (real name Lee Min-wook, 1972), and actor Kim Hyun-soo (2000).

 

 

Born in June, he is a Cancer (6.22~7.22). In Greek mythology, he was inspired by a giant crab sent by Hera to kill Hercules. The crab pinched Hercules' heel with its pincers, but Hercules was so angry that he stepped on it, losing one of his legs.

 

This is why Cancer is missing one leg. Cancer is a feminine constellation, and is known to have many pacifists with maternal love and gentle personalities. It is also known to have many people with creative and artistic sensibilities, and has been the constellation representing musicians and artists since ancient times. However, it is said that Cancer is somewhat passive in relationships and has a weakness in not being able to refuse requests from others.