Song Jaehyuk, Kim Yunseon, Lee Cheong... Samsung Takes Center Stage as Heads of Major Electronics Organizations

Three Executives Take Leadership Roles in Major Organizations This Month
Kim Yoonsun Elected as 3GPP Chairman
Leads Establishment of Mobile Communication Technology Standards
Song Jaehyuk, DS Division CTO, Takes the Lead in Semiconductors
Lee Cheong, CEO of Display, Becomes Chairman of the Korea Display Industry Association
Driving Industry Revitalization and Anticipating a Turnaround for Their Companies

As key executives of Samsung Electronics Group have successively taken leadership roles in important organizations within the electrical and electronics industry, attention is focusing on the background and future direction of these developments.

Song Jae-hyuk, President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Samsung Electronics DS (Device Solutions) Division, was appointed as the new chairman of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association on the 5th. Photo by Yonhap News

According to industry sources on the 16th, three executives from Samsung Electronics have assumed leadership positions in major organizations just this month. While it is customary for companies to take turns leading certain organizations, it is considered highly unusual in the industry for multiple Samsung Electronics executives to simultaneously hold leadership roles in several organizations at the same time.

The key figures include Kim Yoon-sun, Samsung Electronics Master, who was elected chairman of the Radio Access Network Technology Specification Group (TSG RAN) within the global mobile communication technology standards organization '3GPP'; Song Jae-hyuk, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Samsung Electronics Device Solutions (DS) division, who was appointed chairman of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association; and Lee Cheong, CEO of Samsung Display, who became chairman of the Korea Display Industry Association.

All three organizations led by these executives cover broad sectors and wield significant influence, making their appointments highly meaningful. The 3GPP, chaired by Master Kim, is a global consortium including Samsung Electronics, Apple, Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia, Qualcomm, and other related entities that lead the establishment of worldwide mobile communication technology standards. Among its various groups, Kim was appointed chairman of the TSG RAN, which oversees standardization across all wireless technologies including physical layers, wireless protocols, and frequency utilization. With Kim’s appointment as 3GPP chairman, Samsung Electronics is expected to play an expanded role in contributing to 6G standardization. The fact that international experts in mobile communication standards have elected a Samsung Electronics Master as chairman at the outset of 6G standardization is itself significant.

Kim Yoon-sun, Master at Samsung Electronics, was elected as the Chair of the Radio Access Network Technical Specification Group (TSG RAN) at the global mobile communication technology standards organization '3GPP'.

Lee Cheong, CEO of Samsung Display, is answering questions from the press ahead of the '2025 Korea Display Industry Association General Meeting' held on the 14th at Lotte Hotel Jamsil, Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

In the semiconductor sector, where global competition is intensifying, CTO Song Jae-hyuk is taking the lead. Having demonstrated technical leadership throughout the entire semiconductor process?from DRAM and flash memory process development to mass production?Song contributed to achieving global number one status in the memory business. Now, he faces the critical mission of leading Korean semiconductor companies from the forefront to revive the strength of 'K-Semiconductors.' Since the inaugural chairman Kim Kwang-ho in 1991, it has been customary for top executives from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to alternate as chairpersons of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association. While Song’s appointment follows this tradition, some analysts believe it was timely given the current market conditions.

Lee Cheong, CEO of Samsung Display, was inaugurated as the 10th chairman of the Korea Display Industry Association. Recently, the Korean display industry has faced demands for innovation and change due to fierce OLED (organic light-emitting diode) competition from China and rapidly shifting global market trends. Concerns over technology leakage remain unresolved. Lee is tasked with calming the industry and navigating through this crisis. He stated, "If we anticipate changes early and lead with advanced technology, I am confident we can continue to drive growth opportunities."

The activities of these three executives are expected to not only revitalize the Korean electrical and electronics industry but also lay the groundwork for changing the atmosphere within their own companies, attracting significant attention going forward. Recently, Samsung Electronics has reportedly been focusing on reorganizing its internal structure and restoring technological capabilities in businesses such as semiconductors. At the same time, it is making efforts to regain external trust. The upcoming shareholders' meeting on the 19th will serve as a stage to highlight these efforts. The executives’ appointments to leadership roles in industry organizations are also interpreted as part of this broader context. Some speculate that these developments reflect the improving conditions within the company. Market responses to the Galaxy S25 series, released last month, have been positive, and semiconductor foundry yield rates are said to have recovered by more than 30%.