"This Is the Last Opportunity": Lee Jae-yong Emphasizes 'Restoring Technological Competitiveness' to Over 2,000 Executives

New Year's Message Delivered at Executive Seminar
Emphasis on Restoring Technological Competitiveness
"Sandwich Crisis" Cited Amid U.S.-China Rivalry

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong recently emphasized to Samsung executives that "now is not the time to be complacent just because the numbers have improved a bit," stressing that "this is the last opportunity to restore our competitiveness." Although Samsung Electronics' performance has recently shown signs of recovery, his message made it clear that the company must not settle for this and should accelerate efforts to fundamentally restore its technological competitiveness.

According to the business community on January 25, Samsung Group shared Chairman Lee's message, centered on these points, during a seminar for executives.

Since last week, Samsung has been conducting "value education to restore the essence of Samsung" for about 2,000 executives at the vice president level and below across all affiliates, including Samsung Electronics. Multiple attendees reported that the training included a video featuring the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee's management philosophy. This video was first released at a dinner meeting for presidents of Samsung affiliates convened by Chairman Lee earlier this month, and it is said to include key remarks from the late chairman as well as this year's management strategies, such as artificial intelligence (AI). Industry insiders view this video as effectively serving as Chairman Lee's New Year's message to the presidents and executives.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is returning to Seoul through the Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center (SGBAC) in Gangseo-gu after a 3-day, 2-night business trip to China on the 6th. Photo by Yonhap News.

At last year's executive seminar, Chairman Lee's message about "losing Samsung's inherent strength" and his determination to "do or die" was also included in the video shown at the presidents' dinner. This year's video referenced the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee's "sandwich crisis theory," including the message: "Our country is still stuck in a sandwich situation. What has changed is that the competitive landscape has shifted and the situation has become even more serious."

He also highlighted the current situation in which the company is caught in the midst of the power struggle between the United States and China. Previously, in January 2007, the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee remarked at a Federation of Korean Industries (now Korea Enterprises Federation) presidents' meeting, "With China catching up and Japan ahead, the Korean economy is in a sandwich situation." This statement reflected a sense of crisis that Korea lacked the price competitiveness of China and had not widened the technology gap with Japan, leaving it stuck in the middle ground.

The business community interprets Chairman Lee's renewed use of this expression as a reminder that, beyond the competition between China and Japan, the business environment now faces increased strategic choices and cost burdens between China and the United States. In particular, although Samsung's performance improved last year and the company partially emerged from a complex crisis, it is seen as an acknowledgment that structural risks have not yet been resolved. Samsung Electronics struggled with its semiconductor business from 2023 through the first half of 2025, but according to provisional results released on January 8, it entered a recovery phase with fourth-quarter sales of 93 trillion won and operating profit of 20 trillion won last year.

In this context, Chairman Lee's repeated emphasis on restoring technological competitiveness over short-term performance is interpreted as a call not to view the current rebound as a signal of escaping crisis, but rather to pursue more fundamental change. By describing this as the "last opportunity," he made it clear that missing this chance would mean there would be no opportunity for another leap forward, demanding a stronger commitment and execution from the executives. To overcome the current situation, Chairman Lee identified key tasks such as AI-centered management, securing top talent, and innovating corporate culture.

At the seminar, external experts such as professors also gave lectures on topics like organizational management and leadership. Each executive attending the seminar received a crystal plaque engraved with their name and the phrase "From Crisis to a New Leap Forward." Compared to last year's plaque, which bore the message "A Samsung person who is strong in crisis, skilled at turning the tables, and relentless in competition," this year's message reflects the will to demonstrate Samsung's inherent strength once again through execution and results, recognizing the current crisis.

This seminar, organized by Samsung Human Resources Development Center, is being conducted sequentially to strengthen executives' awareness of their roles and responsibilities and their organizational management capabilities. Last year, Samsung resumed the group-wide executive seminar for the first time in nine years since 2016, and from 2009 to 2016, special seminars for executives were held annually.