Lee Jae-yong visits Malaysian battery plant: "Do not be discouraged by difficulties, invest boldly"

First Steps After Acquittal in First Trial
Inspection of Seureumban Samsung SDI Battery Plant
Encouragement for Employees Working Away from Family
Also Observing Reactions of Kuala Lumpur Mayor

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong visited Seremban, Malaysia, on the 9th as his first overseas business trip of the year to inspect the battery business and emphasized, "We must not be discouraged by difficulties but invest boldly."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to Samsung Electronics on the 12th, Chairman Lee arrived in Malaysia on the 9th, took a helicopter to the Seremban Samsung SDI production subsidiary, received a report on the local business status, and inspected the production site of Battery Plant 1 and the construction site of Plant 2.

There, Chairman Lee said, "Let's not be swayed by short-term performance," and urged, "Let's lead change through bold challenges." He also said, "Let's create new value and secure solid competitiveness."

This was his first public appearance since the first trial verdict in the 'illegal succession of management rights' case and his first overseas business trip this year. Earlier, on the 6th, the day after he was acquitted in the first trial, he departed from Gimpo Airport on a chartered flight to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

After completing a private schedule in the UAE, Chairman Lee moved to Malaysia and returned to Korea through Incheon Airport in the early morning of the 11th.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is receiving a report on the status of the 2nd plant of the Seremban SDI production subsidiary in Malaysia on the 9th. Photo by Samsung Electronics

The Seremban plant that Chairman Lee visited this time is Samsung SDI's first overseas subsidiary established in 1991. Initially, it manufactured cathode-ray tubes but started battery production in 2012.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Samsung SDI, currently operating Plant 1, has been constructing Plant 2 since 2022 with an investment of 1.7 trillion KRW to respond to the expected increase in demand in the cylindrical battery market. Plant 2, scheduled for completion in 2025, plans to mass-produce the 'PRiMX 21700' cylindrical battery starting this year. The PRiMX 21700 cylindrical battery, with a diameter of 21 mm and a height of 70 mm, is used in various products such as power tools and electric vehicles.

Samsung SDI achieved record-high sales of 22.7 trillion KRW and operating profit of 1.6 trillion KRW last year but has recently been affected by the slowdown in the global markets for power tools and electric vehicles. Samsung SDI plans to steadily execute investments for the future despite short-term market stagnation and secure differentiated technological competitiveness to establish a foundation for sustainable growth.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong took a commemorative photo with local employees at the Seremban SDI production subsidiary in Malaysia on the 9th. Photo by Samsung Electronics

On the 10th, Chairman Lee also checked local market reactions in Kuala Lumpur, the largest city and capital of Malaysia. He visited the largest Southeast Asian store jointly established in 2022 by Samsung Electronics and Malaysian distributor Senheng, where he observed consumer responses to strategic IT products such as the Galaxy S24. Malaysia is Samsung's number one country in smartphone shipments.

He also encouraged employees working away from their families during the holidays. After inspecting the Seremban battery plant with Samsung SDI President Choi Yoon-ho and other executives, Chairman Lee had dinner with Samsung SDI expatriates, delivered Lunar New Year gifts, and listened to their difficulties. In Kuala Lumpur, he held a meeting attended by about 20 expatriates from Samsung affiliates including Samsung Electronics, Samsung C&T, Samsung Engineering, and Cheil Worldwide.

At the meeting, Chairman Lee offered New Year's greetings to the employees and took commemorative photos with all attendees individually. Since he began leading Samsung in earnest in 2014, he has visited overseas business sites during holidays to directly inspect local businesses and markets, plan management strategies, and encourage employees working far from home. Last Chuseok, he visited the Samsung Electronics R&D Center in Israel, Samsung Electronics TV and tablet factories in Egypt, and the underground tunnel construction site of Samsung C&T's Neom City project in Saudi Arabia. During Chuseok 2022, he visited the Samsung Electronics home appliance factory in Mexico, Samsung Engineering's oil refinery construction site, and Samsung Electronics sales subsidiary in Panama.

In Malaysia, various Samsung affiliates including Samsung Electronics, Samsung SDI, Samsung SDS, Samsung C&T, Samsung Engineering, and Samsung Heavy Industries are conducting business. Samsung C&T recently completed 'Merdeka 118' in Kuala Lumpur, the second tallest building in the world.

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