Lee Jiho, Eldest Son of Lee Jae-yong, to Be Dispatched Overseas... Participates in Multinational "Cobra Gold" Joint Exercise

Lee Jiho, the eldest son of Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, who is currently serving as a Navy Second Lieutenant, will be dispatched to an overseas joint exercise next month.

Lee Jiho, the eldest son of Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, is seen saluting after spotting his family at the graduation and commissioning ceremony of the 139th Naval Marine Corps Officer Candidates held on November 28 last year at the Naval Academy parade ground in Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do. / Photo by Yonhap News

According to military authorities on January 24, Second Lieutenant Lee is scheduled to participate in "Cobra Gold 2026," the largest multinational joint exercise in Southeast Asia, which will be held in Thailand in February.

Cobra Gold is a humanitarian and peacekeeping joint exercise that has been conducted since 1982, co-hosted by the United States Indo-Pacific Command and the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters.

For this exercise, the Republic of Korea Navy and Marine Corps will send around 300 personnel. As an interpretation officer, Second Lieutenant Lee is expected to support communication between the Korean Navy command and the multinational forces' command, including the U.S. military, during the training period.

On the afternoon of the 28th, at the parade ground of the Naval Academy in Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam Province, during the 139th Navy and Marine Corps Officer Candidate Graduation and Commissioning Ceremony, Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, and Hong Ra-hee, Honorary Director of the Leeum Museum of Art, are taking a commemorative photo with newly commissioned Second Lieutenant Lee Jiho. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Although Second Lieutenant Lee was born in the United States and held dual citizenship in Korea and the United States, he renounced his U.S. citizenship and enlisted in order to fulfill his military service as a Navy officer.

The Korean Navy and Marine Corps plan to cooperate with the multinational forces through field maneuver training, humanitarian civic activities, and joint staff operations. In particular, during the combined amphibious operation, they will participate as a core force of the multinational coalition, carrying out a rapid landing on the designated coast.

Second Lieutenant Lee enlisted in September last year as part of the 139th class of Navy Officer Candidates, completed approximately 11 weeks of training, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in November of the same year. He has been assigned to the Intelligence Operations Office of the Navy’s 5th Mine Landing Brigade. His discharge date is November 30, 2028.