Lee Kun-hee
Lee Kun-hee (Hangul: 이건희; Hanja: 李健熙; Korean pronunciation: [iːɡʌnhi]; January 9, 1942 – October 25, 2020) was a South Korean businessman. He was the chairman of Samsung Group from 1987 to 2008 and again from 2010 until his death in 2020. Since Lee became chairman, Samsung became the largest manufacturer of smartphones, memory chips, and appliances. He was the third son of Samsung founder Lee Byung-chull.[3] In 1996, Lee became a member of the International Olympic Committee. He had an estimated net worth of US$21 billion when he died, which made him the richest person in South Korea since 2007. His family has a net worth of US$40.8 billion, which makes them among the Forbes richest people in the world.
Lee Kun-hee | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lee attending breakfast with various Korean business leaders, 2013 | |
| Born | January 9, 1942 |
| Died | October 25, 2020 (aged 78) |
| Cause of death | Problems caused by a heart attack |
| Nationality | South Korean |
| Alma mater | Waseda University George Washington University |
| Occupation | Chairman of Samsung |
| Spouse(s) | Hong Ra-hee[2] |
| Children | Lee Jae-yong Lee Boo-jin Lee Seo-hyun Lee Yoon-hyung† |
| Parent(s) | Lee Byung-chull (1909–1987) Park Du-eul (1907–1999) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 이건희 |
| Hanja | 李健熙 |
| Revised Romanization | I Geonhui |
| McCune–Reischauer | Yi Kŏnhŭi |
He was convicted twice, once in 1996 and again in 2008, for corruption and tax evasion, but was pardoned both times. In 2014, Lee was named the world's 35th most powerful person and the most powerful Korean by Forbes Magazine's List of The World's Most Powerful People, along with his son Lee Jae-yong.[4]
In May 2014, he was hospitalized in Seoul for a heart attack and was in a coma,[5] which he remained in until he died on 25 October 2020.[6] He was 78 years old.[7]
Early life
Lee Kun-hee was born on 9 January 1942 in Daegu during the Japanese occupation of Korea.[8] His father, Lee Byung-chull, founded the Samsung Group, which at first exported fruit and dried fish. He majored in economics at Waseda University, and later attended George Washington University in the United States.
Lee Kun-hee Media
Young Lee Kun-hee with his father Lee Byung-chul
References
- ↑ Louis Kraar. Lee Kun-Hee South Korean businessman (12 Apr 2010)Britannica. Retrieved 18 Feb 2017.
- ↑ Herald, The Korea. Hong Ra-hee makes comeback as Leeum's director (29 March 2011).
- ↑ Profile: Lee Kun-hee. BBC. March 24, 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8584702.stm. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
- ↑ The World's Most Powerful People. Forbes.
- ↑ Power, John (7 April 2015). Is Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee dead or alive?. The Korea Observer. http://www.koreaobserver.com/lee-kun-hee-dead-alive-health-of-samsung-chairman-lee-kun-hee-27791/. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- ↑ 이건희 삼성 회장 별세…향년 78세 (in Korean)
- ↑ Chairman of Samsung Group Lee Kun-hee dies at 78 (in en-US). The African Media (2020-10-25). Retrieved 2020-10-25.
- ↑ Kraar, Louis. Lee Kun-Hee South Korean businessman. Britannica (12 April 2010). Retrieved 18 April 2026.