Chairman Lee Jae-yong Returns from Europe Business Trip: "Spring Has Come"

One-Week Visit to Germany and Italy
Technical Alliance with Zeiss
Private Audience with Pope Francis

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong returned to Korea on the 3rd through Gimpo Airport after about a week-long business trip to Europe.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is returning to Korea on the morning of the 3rd through the Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center (SGBAC) in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, after completing a business trip to Europe. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Arriving at around 7:28 a.m. that day, Chairman Lee told reporters asking about the results of his trip, "Spring has come." This phrase is interpreted not only as the arrival of spring according to the seasonal calendar but also as the arrival of a "spring of semiconductors." During this European trip, Chairman Lee took significant steps related to semiconductors. On the 26th of last month, he visited the headquarters of ZEISS in Oberkochen, Germany, where he met with CEO Carl Lamprecht and other executives to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between the two companies. ZEISS is a global optics company holding more than 2,000 core patents related to EUV (extreme ultraviolet) technology essential for advanced semiconductor production. It exclusively supplies the optical systems installed in ASML's EUV equipment. More than 30,000 ZEISS components are used in one EUV machine. Samsung Electronics has decided to further expand cooperation with ZEISS in the fields of future EUV technology and advanced semiconductor equipment. Based on EUV technology, Samsung plans to lead the foundry market for ultra-fine processes below 3 nanometers and mass-produce 6th generation 10-nanometer class DRAM applying EUV processes within this year. ZEISS also plans to invest 48 billion KRW by 2026 to establish a research and development (R&D) center in Korea, which is expected to further strengthen the strategic cooperation between the two companies.

Chairman Lee then had a private audience with Pope Francis at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City on the 27th of last month. This was Chairman Lee's first meeting with the Pope. He exchanged prepared souvenirs with the Pope, who offered words of encouragement and blessings to Chairman Lee and the Samsung delegation. Chairman Lee had visited the Vatican in July 2022 to congratulate Cardinal You Heung-sik, the Prefect of the Secretariat of the Clergy, on his appointment, and the relationship that began then led to this meeting with the Pope. It is also known that this meeting symbolized the Vatican's gratitude in response to Samsung Electronics' donation of outdoor LED screens. Last summer, Samsung Electronics installed four outdoor LED screens in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. The Samsung outdoor LED screens, which began full operation in early September last year, are LED signage products with excellent resolution that deliver outstanding image quality even under sunlight. The Vatican expressed deep appreciation to Samsung Electronics for helping welcome guests ahead of the upcoming Catholic Holy Year next year, when about 30 million pilgrims worldwide are expected to visit the Vatican.