Lee Jae-myung Meets Lee Jae-yong, Emphasizes "Samsung Must Succeed" and the Need for Government Venture Investment (Comprehensive)

Lee Jae-myung and Lee Jae-yong Meet at SSAFY Seoul Campus on the 17th
Lee Jae-myung Laughs, "Why Are You Out Here?" as Lee Jae-yong Greets Him
Expected Discussion on Semiconductor Special Act Did Not Take Place

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, met with Lee Jae-yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics, and said, "Samsung must do well for those who have invested in Samsung to also prosper." Lee emphasized that while companies need to make large-scale investments, the government must actively step in to support areas that are difficult to handle alone. Although discussions about the Semiconductor Special Act were expected during the private meeting between the two, no related remarks were made during the brief meeting of about 10 minutes.

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung (right) attended an on-site meeting to support youth employment on the 20th at the Multicampus Yeoksam SSAFY Seoul Campus in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and greeted Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, who came out to the lobby to welcome him. 2025.3.20 Photo by Kim Hyun-min

On the 17th, Lee met with Lee Jae-yong at the Samsung Youth SW Academy (SSAFY) Seoul Campus in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, saying, "For the country to prosper, companies must do well, and for Samsung to thrive, those who have invested in Samsung must also prosper," adding, "I hope Samsung will continue to play a leading role in economic growth as it has done so far for everyone." Samsung Electronics supports software (SW) competency enhancement education and employment support services for job seekers at SSAFY.

Chairman Lee said, "I sincerely appreciate your visit to SSAFY," and added, "The trainees at SSAFY and the youth who will carry the future of South Korea and artificial intelligence (AI) seem to gain a lot of strength from this."

The meeting between the two took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Before the meeting, when Chairman Lee came out to greet in the lobby, Lee Jae-myung, seemingly surprised, smiled brightly and shook hands with Chairman Lee, saying, "Why are you out here?"

During the roundtable with SSAFY trainees, Lee maintained a bright expression while exchanging questions and answers with the trainees. When asked by a trainee about "what the appropriate AI growth policy might be," Lee said, "An important role of the government is to establish a solid basic foundation," adding, "Samsung is creating such educational programs, but this is also a responsibility that the public education sector must handle."

He shared his thoughts, saying, "I hope the public sector will support research and development costs as much as possible, and that the public sector should also take significant responsibility for startups and venture companies."

Lee Jae-myung (left), leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Lee Jae-yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics, are applauding at an on-site meeting to support youth employment held on the morning of the 20th at the Multicampus Yeoksam SSAFY Seoul Campus in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. 2025.3.20 Photo by Kim Hyun-min

He also emphasized that the government must actively invest. Lee said, "Until now, the government has only supported areas with infinite potential, but now I think it should participate directly in investments," adding, "I believe the era has come when the public sector must bear part of the risk investment."

He continued, "Samsung Electronics is doing well, but there are investments that large companies find difficult to handle alone, and in such cases, the state should cooperate and share the benefits."

During their private meeting, Chairman Lee shared that improving the minimum residual volume (LDS) syringe process, which greatly helped COVID-19 prevention, was one of the most rewarding recent experiences. In response, Lee said, "This is a good example of a large company like Samsung supporting small and medium-sized enterprises," and urged, "Please continue to play such roles in the future." Samsung Electronics supported 30 smart factory construction experts to the LDS syringe manufacturer Poonglim Pharmatech, significantly reducing production time.

Lee also expressed the opinion that companies and the government need to closely cooperate in public diplomacy to respond to changes in the trade environment and tariff policies since the Trump administration. Chairman Lee reportedly agreed on the necessity of public diplomacy. Although remarks related to current issues such as the Semiconductor Special Act were expected, they were not discussed during the brief 10-minute meeting.