Lee Jae-yong sets off on a business trip to Japan this time.
Lee Jae-yong, the chairman of Samsung Electronics, is heading overseas again. Following his schedule in China last week, he is now embarking on a business trip to Japan, quickly expanding his global management footprint.
After being acquitted in February in the appeals trial concerning unfair merger and accounting fraud allegations, it seems he is now accelerating his overseas management activities, which had been constrained until now.
According to the business industry on the 2nd, Chairman Lee plans to visit Japan following his trip to China.
At a recent meeting with Han Duck-soo, the Acting President and Prime Minister, Chairman Lee stated, "I was in China for a week last week. Today, I’m scheduled to visit Japan for another 5 to 6 days."
Chairman Lee met with Xi Jinping in China.
From March 22 to 28, Chairman Lee visited China to attend the "China Development Forum" and visited the factories of Xiaomi and electric vehicle maker BYD. He also participated in the "International Business Leaders’ Dialogue," which brought together global corporate CEOs, including President Xi Jinping.
Samsung Electronics still has high expectations for China. In the last year, Samsung's revenue from China amounted to 64.9 trillion won, accounting for 31% of its total revenue. While major countries, including the United States, are contemplating "decoupling from China," Samsung is, in fact, pursuing a so-called "reverse strategy" by expanding its engagement with China.
The next destination for Chairman Lee is Japan. In particular, there is keen interest in whether he will meet with Masayoshi Son, the chairman of SoftBank, during this trip.
There is focus on whether Chairman Lee will meet with Masayoshi Son of SoftBank during the Japan trip.
When Chairman Son visited Korea with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in February, Chairman Lee had a three-party meeting with the two. The topic discussed at that time was none other than the "Stargate" project.
This project is a massive AI infrastructure plan led by the private sector, announced directly by President Trump. It totals $500 billion (approximately 700 trillion won) and aims to build supercomputers and AI data centers across the United States. In the industry, there are analyses suggesting that if Samsung Electronics gets involved with Stargate, it could become a major supplier of memory semiconductors for the AI data centers.
The consortium led by SoftBank decided on March 31 to invest $40 billion (approximately 58 trillion won) in OpenAI. With this funding, OpenAI plans to build a network of AI data centers throughout the United States. As Samsung is the world's leading company in memory, it is highly likely to emerge as a key partner in the Stargate project.
The business industry believes that Chairman Lee's global activities will continue in the future. He is expected to visit key locations in North America, Europe, and Vietnam, reviewing investments and checking on Samsung’s future growth businesses, including semiconductors, AI, and batteries.
One industry insider stated, "Since the resolution of the judicial risks, Chairman Lee's global management activities have become more pronounced. It reflects his determination to personally manage Samsung's future."
Image sources: Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics / News1, News1, Lee Jae-yong and Lei Jun from Xiaomi Electric Vehicle Factory / News1
