Lee Jae-yong Meets Pope at Vatican... Likely a Gesture of Thanks for 'Samsung Billboard'

Chairman Lee to Meet Pope at Sado Palace on April 27
Reportedly Exchanged Prepared Souvenirs

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong's meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican was revealed belatedly.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is shaking hands with Pope Francis at the Vatican Apostolic Palace on the 27th of last month (local time).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

According to the Holy See on the 2nd (local time), Chairman Lee had an audience with the Pope at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on the 27th of last month. It is reported that this was Chairman Lee's first meeting with the Pope.

Cardinal You Heung-sik, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy at the Holy See, acted as a bridge. Cardinal You was appointed as the first Korean cleric to a Vatican prefecture in June 2021. Later, on May 29, 2022, he was appointed as the fourth Korean cardinal. Chairman Lee also celebrated Cardinal You's appointment at the Vatican in late July 2022.

In addition to Cardinal You, Nam Seok-woo, President of Samsung Electronics, and Davide Corte, Head of IT Product Sales at Samsung Electronics Italy, accompanied Chairman Lee during the meeting with the Pope. It is known that Chairman Lee and the Pope exchanged prepared commemorative gifts.

This meeting is also analyzed to include the Vatican's gesture of gratitude for Samsung Electronics' donation of outdoor electronic billboards. Last summer, Samsung Electronics installed four outdoor electronic billboards at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican.