[Inside Chodong] 260,000 Followers of the Fake Lee Jae-yong

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sun-mi] The Instagram account bearing Lee Jae-yong’s face, which he does not personally operate, has over 260,000 followers. This Instagram account, which features Samsung Electronics’ management principles in its profile under Lee’s photo, is not affiliated with Samsung Electronics’ official SNS accounts. It is merely a personal 'fan page' run by an individual for Lee and Samsung. Of course, since this phrase is only visible after clicking 'See More' on the first screen, many followers mistakenly believe they are communicating directly with Lee.

This account, which Lee does not manage, first appeared around April 2020. At its inception under the username 'jaeyong_3831', it attracted social controversy with labels such as 'impersonating Lee Jae-yong' and 'Ripley’s syndrome', leading to its forced closure. In August, the operator restarted with a new account 'jaeyong_3831' (with a slight difference in spelling), clearly stating in the first post that it was a 'fan page'. They also explained that the page was created because Lee has no personal stories or SNS presence. More than two years later, with the 'fan page' post pushed far back and less visible, the account is now so active that at a glance, it can be mistaken for Lee’s personal SNS.

On the 21st of last month, when Lee traveled to attend the opening ceremony of Samsung’s Vietnam Research and Development (R&D) Center, the fan page posted a photo of the center’s exterior along with the phrase 'Samsung R&D Center'. In August last year, when Lee’s time spent with employees carrying a tray in the Samsung SDS cafeteria in Jamsil became a hot topic, the page posted humorous captions and photos such as 'Visited Samsung SDS in Jamsil / Hwangtae Gomtang is delicious / There was even an iPhone'. In June, it shared a handshake photo of Lee Jae-yong and U.S. President Joe Biden along with a link to Biden’s SNS account, and during the launch of Samsung’s innovative home appliances, it actively promoted the products. Followers cheered and left supportive comments each time.

In reality, young people’s interest in owner-managers gathers on SNS. Shin Yong-jin, Vice Chairman of Shinsegae Group, has over 780,000 followers on Instagram, and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has attracted 73,000 followers during his year and a half of SNS activity. This is the result of a desire to peek into the veiled lives of chaebols, curiosity about their lifestyles, attitudes, and ways of thinking, and a need for 'communication'.

From this perspective, the activation of the 'Lee Jae-yong fan page' ironically demonstrates how great the public’s interest is in Lee as the head of Samsung, a company with significant influence on Korea’s economy, and as the person responsible for Samsung Electronics’ overall management.

Many also argue that the image of chaebols portrayed on TV differs from reality. However, the public’s response to the 'chaebols on TV' may partly stem from limited opportunities to glimpse their lives and thoughts directly or indirectly. Active communication with the public could instead serve as a chance to reveal the fiction behind the 'chaebols on TV'.

Is it an excessive hope to expect that the sincere stories of chaebols will inspire the dreams of young people? With the growing demand for SNS communication among the younger generation, it is hoped that the 'Chairman' will expand positive influence through active communication that breaks formalities and conventions.