Lee Chan-hee, Deputy Commissioner, "Samsung Control Tower Reconstruction, Internal Opinions Divided"

'Reiterating the Need for Lee Jae-yong's Return for Responsible Management'

Lee Chan-hee, Chairman of the Samsung Compliance Committee, reiterated his position that the return of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong as a registered executive is necessary for responsible management. Regarding the reconstruction of Samsung's control tower, he said, "There are various opinions within the committee as well as inside Samsung."

Before the regular meeting of the 3rd Compliance Committee held on the morning of the 18th at the Samsung Life Insurance building in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Chairman Lee told reporters, "Although the judicial risks have not been completely resolved, it is right for Chairman Lee to fulfill responsible management until the trial results are out."

Chairman Lee had expressed a similar stance earlier in the foreword of the Compliance Committee’s annual report published on the 15th. He said, "It took a lot of time to write the foreword. I carefully considered every single word and sentence because they are very important. I emphasized in the foreword that the return as a registered executive is necessary for responsible management."

He also emphasized that deep deliberations are taking place within the Compliance Committee. When asked whether the reconstruction of the control tower could be completed during the 3rd Compliance Committee’s term, Chairman Lee said, "Our committee is really thinking hard. I want to ask if anyone has thought about it as much as we have."

Samsung Compliance Committee Chairman Lee Chan-hee is answering questions from the press ahead of the 3rd Compliance Committee regular meeting at the Samsung Life Seocho Building in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 18th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the issue of reconstructing Samsung’s control tower, Chairman Lee also took a cautious stance. He said, "There are various opinions both inside and outside. Personally, I can definitely say that the reconstruction of the control tower is necessary, but there are various opinions within the committee and inside Samsung."

As the reconstruction of the control tower has been identified as an important task for the 3rd Compliance Committee, when asked by reporters whether this task would be completed within the term, he avoided giving a definite answer and emphasized, "There are diverse thoughts."

When asked recently about whether he had met with Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Chairman Lee gave a brief reply, saying, "There are more important matters." He added, "Samsung’s compliance monitoring system has been somewhat established and is being operated as a model. The Chairman also has important matters that must be prioritized."