Samsung Marketing President Lee Young-hee and 'Wafer God' CEO Shin Young-hwan Awarded Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry held the '51st Commerce Day Ceremony' on the 20th at the 63 Convention Center in Seoul, awarding government honors such as the Order of Industrial Service Merit, Industrial Service Medal, Presidential Citation, Prime Minister Citation, and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Citation to 208 businesspeople who contributed to national industrial development through the promotion of commerce and industry.

The highest honor for businesspeople, the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit, was awarded to Lee Young-hee, President of Samsung Electronics, and Shin Young-hwan, CEO of Daeduck Electronics.

Lee Young-hee, President of Samsung Electronics

Lee Young-hee, President of Samsung Electronics, was recognized for her contributions to growing the 'Galaxy' brand into a global brand and helping Samsung Electronics establish itself as the world's number one mobile phone market share company.

Since 2017, President Lee has overseen Samsung Electronics' global marketing strategy as Chief Marketing Officer, growing the brand value to 5th globally (based on Interbrand 2023). Through customer-centric innovation, data-driven customer experience, and strengthening business models, she elevated Samsung's brand status in markets worldwide. At the end of 2022, she was promoted as Samsung Electronics' first female president, strengthening the role and status of female leadership in the South Korean economy.

Shin Young-hwan, CEO of Daeduck Electronics

Shin Young-hwan, CEO of Daeduck Electronics, earned the honor of the Gold Tower award for his achievements in developing ultra-fine circuit board technology and supporting domestic memory semiconductor companies' dominance in the global market.

Since assuming the role of CEO of Daeduck Electronics in May 2020, Shin has led the industry by developing ultra-fine circuit board technology in response to advanced digital industries such as AI and 5G. He anticipated the demand shift from DDR4 to DDR5 early on and pioneered the development of thin and fine circuit technologies, laying the foundation for domestic memory semiconductor companies to dominate the global market.

The Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit was awarded to Uh Seong-cheol, CEO of Hanwha Systems; Joo Jong-dae, CEO of Koryo Steel; Lee Jong-ho, Chairman of PPI Pipe; and Kim Cheol-jung, CEO of SK IE Technology. The Bronze Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit was awarded to Jung Won-seok, CEO of LG Magna e-Powertrain; Seo Yong-cheol, CEO of Shinheung Precision; and Lim Dae-jae, CEO of IMAX Solution.

The Stone Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit was awarded to Kim Jeong-ho, CEO of Handok, and Cho Kyung-ho, Vice Chairman of Daechang. The Industrial Medal was awarded to 10 businesspeople including Kim Ho-sik, Vice Chairman of LOT Vacuum; Lee Eung-gu, CEO of PJ Electronics; Yoon Il-jin, CEO of Gomotech; Yoon Jang-seop, CEO of SCL; Kang Dong-won, President of Mediana; Kim Seong-gwan, Vice President of Panaxia; Lee Jun-kwon, CEO of Highlight Brands; Kwon Ik-jun, CEO of Korea Hukoku; Kim Yang-hyung, CEO of KLA Tenko Korea; and Seo In-bok, CEO of ESSEFIL SRL.

Additionally, 17 people including Lim Myeong-jin, CEO of Hyundai Everdigm, received the Presidential Citation; 17 people including Son Jeong-jin, CEO of Juwon C&I, received the Prime Minister Citation; and 150 people including Kim Seong-hoon, Vice President of GSB Solution, received the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Citation.

The ceremony was attended by about 1,200 businesspeople from home and abroad, including Ahn Deok-geun, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy; Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics; Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group; and Koo Kwang-mo, Chairman of LG.

Marking its 51st anniversary this year, Commerce Day carries the slogan “Businesspeople lead, government supports: a country good for business,” reflecting the meaning of the moment when commerce and industry, which have been the foundation of our economic growth, start a new 50 years, with companies and the government working as one team to lead South Korea's economic development.

Commerce Day is a legally designated commemorative day to promote the advancement of commerce and industry and encourage businesspeople who have contributed to industrial development. The ceremony is held annually on the third Wednesday of March.