How Samsung Patriarch Helped Build Korea’s Tech-Driven Economy
- Charts show how Samsung powered growth, fueled chip reliance
- Lee’s belief in cutting-edge tech helped put Korea on the map
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The South Korean tech sector that is helping pull the economy out of a pandemic slump is largely built on the work of Samsung’s Lee Kun-hee and his driving belief that the country could become a global powerhouse in chips, panels and smartphones.
Lee, who died at the weekend, had already spearheaded the conglomerate’s move into semiconductors before he became chief executive officer of Samsung Electronics Co. in 1998. During his tenure at the helm, the company accelerated its transformation from copycat manufacturer to cutting-edge industry leader, helping make the South Korean economy Asia’s fourth largest.