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Following the unexpected death of the late Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee, focus has been on Samsung Electronics’ upcoming executive appointments aimed at addressing the leadership gap. According to South Korean news outlet EBN, Han had held three major positions concurrently: head of the Device eXperience (DX) division, head of the Digital Appliances (DA) business, and Chairman of the Quality Innovation Committee. Most urgently, the company needs to appoint successors for the vacant positions of Head of the DX Division and Head of the DA Business Division, as highlighted by the report.
Following Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s return from China on the 28th, he is expected to be briefed on the list of candidates and begin reshaping the company’s leadership. The report notes that, given his recent remarks at an executive seminar about embracing flexible personnel changes and bringing in new talent, one-point appointments and further changes may still be considered to deal with pressing issues and bolster the company’s leadership.
Potential Successor for Head of the DX Division
The report indicates that the next head of the DX Division is likely to be someone with a solid engineering background. In this regard, Roh Tae-moon, President of the MX (Mobile eXperience) Business Division, is emerging as a strong candidate to succeed in leading the DX Division.
President Roh, born in 1968, has been serving as an internal board director since 2022. He has recently achieved notable success in the smartphone business, particularly with the strong performance of the Galaxy S25 series and continued progress in foldable phone development. As the report points out, he is currently the sole internal director within the DX Division and could be appointed CEO through a board decision.
As noted by Chosun Biz, Jeon Kyung-hoon, CTO of the DX Division, is also being considered a potential successor. However, as EBN highlights, his background is primarily in telecommunications, which some analysts believe may reduce his chances.
Candidates for the Next DA Division Chief
There is also growing attention on who will be appointed to lead the DA Business Division, which oversees Samsung’s home appliances segment. According to EBN, Yong Seok-woo, President and Head of the Visual Display (VD) Business—responsible for the company’s TV operations—has emerged as a possible contender for the role.
In addition, Chosun Biz reports that Moon Jong-seung, Vice President overseeing product development, is viewed as a strong contender. Lim Sung-taek, who leads Samsung Korea, is also being considered, particularly in light of the success of the company’s subscription-based appliance offerings.
Meanwhile, following the sudden passing of Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee, Samsung Electronics has temporarily transitioned to a sole CEO system under Vice Chairman Jeon Young-hyun, replacing the previous dual CEO structure. The announcement was made on the 25th, according to South Korean media outlets hankooki and Financial Post.
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(Photo credit: Samsung)
