Will Chairman Lee Jae-yong's Son Also Join the Military? Samsung's Response?

Lee Jae-yong's Eldest Son at a Crossroads in Choosing Nationality... Intertwined Military Service Issue

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sun-mi]‘Is the Chairman’s Son Still Korean?’

Lee Ji-ho, the eldest son of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, faces a crossroads as he approaches his 22nd birthday on the 14th of this month, when he must choose his nationality. Born in the United States, Lee holds dual citizenship in Korea and the U.S. Under domestic law, since he has not yet fulfilled his military service obligation, he must either renounce his foreign nationality or make a ‘Declaration of Non-Exercise of Foreign Nationality’ before his 22nd birthday to retain Korean nationality. In other words, Lee must make a basic nationality choice by the 14th.

Born in New York in 2000 as a congenital dual national, he holds both U.S. and Korean citizenship. To choose Korean nationality, he must renounce his U.S. citizenship or make a ‘Declaration of Non-Exercise of Foreign Nationality’ to the Minister of Justice before his birthday on the 14th, according to the Nationality Act. The declaration means pledging not to exercise foreign nationality rights in the Republic of Korea. If the declaration is completed within the basic nationality selection period, he can maintain both Korean and U.S. citizenship simultaneously.

The issue is military service. As Lee has not yet served, if he makes the Declaration of Non-Exercise of Foreign Nationality, he cannot exercise his foreign nationality and must resolve the military service issue. Few in the Samsung family have fully completed military service. Chairman Lee Jae-yong was exempted due to a herniated disc, and the late former Chairman Lee Kun-hee did not complete full service for various reasons. CJ Chairman Lee Jae-hyun was exempted due to a rare genetic disease, and Shinsegae Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin did not serve due to being overweight. Many inside and outside Samsung expect Lee to renounce his U.S. citizenship like his father, anticipating that he will fulfill his military obligations after giving up U.S. nationality.

However, the possibility that Lee may renounce Korean nationality remains open. Although he spent his childhood in Seoul attending Yeonghoon Elementary School and Yeonghoon International Middle School, he has lived abroad since middle school. He attended prestigious private schools on the U.S. East Coast and a school in Toronto, Canada, and is currently studying at a university in France. Since Chairman Lee has declared that he will not pass on management rights to his children, there is no pressing need for Lee to choose Korean nationality. Samsung Electronics maintains its position of "cannot confirm" regarding the nationality and military service issues of the chairman’s son.