Samsung Subcommittee Schedules Meeting Immediately After Lee Jae-yong Verdict... First Meeting on the 20th

First Meeting with Chairman Lee Chan-hee After the Launch of the 3rd Term
Initiating Discussions on Establishing a Control Tower and Business Normalization

The Samsung Compliance Committee reportedly decided the schedule for its February regular meeting immediately after the first trial verdict of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong. The committee had not set the date for its first meeting since the launch of its third term on the 31st of last month, but finalized the date after Chairman Lee was acquitted. It is expected to be the first occasion to discuss the normalization of Samsung’s management, including the revival of the Future Strategy Office.

Lee Chan-hee, Chairman of Samsung Compliance Committee. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

According to the business community on the 7th, the Samsung Compliance Committee plans to hold its first meeting since the formation of the third term on the 20th and has begun coordinating the specific time and agenda items. Previously, Samsung had formed the third-term committee, including the reappointment of Chairman Lee Chan-hee and some other members.

The date for the first meeting was reportedly set on the 5th. A business insider said, "Typically, the second-term Compliance Committee meetings were held on the third week of every month, but it had not yet been decided whether the third term would meet at the same time," adding, "I understand that the date was not set until Chairman Lee’s acquittal was announced."

Since the Samsung Compliance Committee is holding its first meeting after Chairman Lee’s acquittal, there is keen interest in the agenda items. The business community is particularly focused on whether discussions on rebuilding the group’s control tower, including the revival of the Future Strategy Office, will officially begin. Rebuilding the control tower has been a long-standing issue raised by the Compliance Committee for Samsung Group.

It is reported that the Compliance Committee has not engaged in any discussions about rebuilding the group’s control tower so far. There remain negative views about the Future Strategy Office, and it was judged necessary to gauge public opinion. Chairman Lee’s reserved remarks last month to Asia Economy, stating, "The control tower is something we constantly talk about and study," are interpreted in this context.

However, Chairman Lee has repeatedly likened Samsung to an "aircraft carrier," emphasizing the need for a control tower to ensure management efficiency and unity. In particular, the recent court ruling that found not only Chairman Lee but also former Future Strategy Office executives innocent has been seen as laying the groundwork for discussions about the control tower. On the 5th, the court emphasized, "The merger between Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries was judged to be beneficial for business and was pursued accordingly, and it cannot be said that the Future Strategy Office solely decided on the merger." This recognized the Future Strategy Office as a legitimate organization operating under a rational decision-making process, rather than being manipulated for the personal gain of the group’s head.

The need for a control tower is also being raised within the group. There is speculation that the form and operation method of the control tower will be finalized within this year, and personnel will be organized through the year-end regular personnel reshuffle.

The Future Strategy Office was first established during the tenure of former Chairman Lee Kun-hee in 2010 to formulate the group’s mid- to long-term management strategies and to lead major issues such as business operations and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) across affiliates. However, after the "state affairs manipulation" scandal during the Park Geun-hye administration, the Future Strategy Office was stigmatized as a hub for assisting the group owner’s corrupt activities and was disbanded in February 2017. Since then, its roles have been divided among Samsung Electronics (business support), Samsung C&T (design, procurement, and construction), and Samsung Life Insurance (enhancing financial competitiveness), maintained in the form of task forces (TF).

Once the challenge of rebuilding the control tower is resolved, the influence of the Compliance Committee within the group is expected to strengthen further. The second-term members, including Chairman Lee, succeeded in their reappointment last month, gaining recognition from affiliates for their achievements over the past two years. If the control tower is rebuilt under the Compliance Committee’s leadership during this third term, it is expected to increase attention from the business community and expand the committee’s role within the group. In this third term, Chairman Lee, along with Kwon Ik-hwan, Kim Woo-jin, Yoon Sung-hye, and Hong Eun-joo, were reappointed, and Han Seung-hwan, CEO of the Samsung Life Public Welfare Foundation, joined as a new member replacing Sung In-hee. Han has a career history including Vice President of Samsung Human Resources Development Institute, CEO of Samsung C&T Resort Division, and President of Samsung Welstory.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.