Samsung CEO Han Jong-hee has reportedly “dropped dead” after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest.
Jong-hee was 63 years old when he died suddenly this week.
He reportedly “dropped dead” when his heart unexpectedly stopped beating.
The tech boss was considered a pioneer who put the company’s television business on the global stage.
In a statement confirming the top executive’s unexpected death, a Samsung spokesperson said:
“Han Jong-hee died from cardiac arrest.”
Jong-hee joined Samsung in 1988 and was seen as having played a key role in getting its high-end TV sets noticed worldwide.
He was credited by the company with taking Samsung televisions “to the pinnacle of the global market.”
Under his leadership, Samsung has remained a global leader in TV technology.
The firm wrote in a company biography published earlier this month:
“Han was central in the unveiling of Samsung’s world-class LED TVs.
“His numerous other innovations enabled the company to continually demonstrate its technology leadership.”
Jong-hee was not part of the Samsung family.
The family still dominates the company, with third-generation leader Lee Jae-yong currently serving as the chief of Samsung Electronics.
Samsung said in a regulatory filing that Jun Young Hyun, the semiconductor chief executive, will now take over Jong-hee’s duties as the company’s sole CEO.
Jong-hee was survived by his wife and three children.
Han’s death comes as the world’s largest memory-chip maker faces business headwinds in its race to produce chips used in artificial intelligence.
Analysts have said Samsung was struggling to meet demand for chips used in AI servers, especially from US titan Nvidia.
Kim Dae-jong, professor of business administration at Sejong University in Seoul, said that Han’s death could deal a blow to Samsung’s strategy to keep its number one place in the global TV market.
He added: “Considering he has been deeply involved in Samsung’s TV business for decades, helping it firmly secure its global standing, his absence could affect its global strategy for years to come.”
Samsung, like other TV titans LG and TCL, has been packing ever more AI into huge screens that are inching towards being digital assistants capable of chatting with users and other devices in homes.
Jong-hee appeared fit and well when he appeared at the company’s general meeting of shareholders last week, the last public event he attended.
During the event, he noted that the company would need fresh momentum to gain an edge in the competitive AI field.
“We will continue to pioneer in various areas such as robotics, medtech, and next-generation semiconductors to secure new growth momentum,” he told the meeting.
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