An unfortunate death related to South Korea’s elite was announced on October 25th. It was revealed that Samsung Group Chairman, Lee Kun-Hee, had died at his home at the age of seventy-eight. Chairman Kun-Hee was the primary attribute associated with Samsung’s growth between 1968 to 2020. His development enabled a small trading business to become a powerhouse electronics manufacturer, which maintains millions of smartphones & televisions worldwide. Samsung also manufacturers home appliances for consumers worldwide.

Samsung Electronics would become an international corporation rivalling Apple & Google during the reign of Chairman Lee Kun-Hee. His fortune has been left in-question, with millions throughout Samsung wondering who will inherit the $21 billion net worth of Lee Kun-Hee. The wealth of this chairman will likely be left for his four children, three of whom hold strong positions within the Samsung Group. It should be noted that the Kun-Hee Family is the richest in South Korea.

The Samsung Group issued a formal statement regarding Chairman Kun-Hee’s passing. It was stated that family were bedside with Lee Kun-Hee into the late hours of October 25th. Sentiments of sadness were expressed by Samsung, evoking that his memory will be cherished for generations in South Korea. It was noted that since 2014, Lee Kun-Hee had been living in specialized care after experiencing a heart attack.

Legends of Kun-Hee

Samsung Chairman Kun-Hee was infamous throughout South Korea for changing his fathers trading firm into an electronic conglomerate. When the initial strategy for becoming an electronic corporation didn’t work, Chairman Kun-Hee would inform thousands of employees to change everything at Samsung except for their wives & children. What followed was 150+ thousand mobile phones from the 1990s being burned in a bonfire.

This decision cemented the legacy of Chairman Kun-Hee & is still told by thousands of South Koreans. However, after this decision, the Samsung Chairman would become a recluse & garner the nickname Hermit King. Reclusion of Lee Kun-Hee also followed after he was convicted twice of criminal charges, with the former South Korean President pardoning him of any prison time. His last public appearance was the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.