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Samsung Electronics co-CEO Han Jong-hee has died at the age of 63 after suffering a heart attack.
The telecommunications giant confirmed Han dedicated over 37 years of his life to Samsung, joining the firm shortly after completing his electrical engineering degree.
The company told CNN that Han helped foster growth during a “challenging business environment”.
The 63-year-old’s death comes just days after he spoke at Samsung’s annual shareholder meeting where he addressed the company’s struggling stock prices.
He steadily climbed the corporate ladder, taking over Samsung’s research and development team in visual display business in 2011.
By 2022, Han had been appointed Vice Chairman and CEO, with responsibility for the company’s Digital Appliances division.
The role put him in charge of Samsung’s electronics and mobile devices, cementing his position as one of the firm’s most influential leaders.
“With his sudden passing… there could have some long-term impact on its business strategy, particularly in areas like marketing,” the Samsung analyst added.
Samsung typically operates with two CEOs – one overseeing consumer divisions while another leads teams developing computer chips.
Jun Young-hyun, who was recently appointed as co-CEO, will now take over as the sole CEO following Han’s death.
Jun was promoted last November to head Samsung’s semiconductor division and was announced as a co-CEO at last week’s shareholder meeting.
Samsung has not yet revealed whether Jun will continue to serve in the position alone or if a successor for Han will be named.
At the shareholder meeting, Han had acknowledged Samsung’s struggling stock prices and apologised for the disappointing numbers.
The firm was one of the worst-performing tech stocks of the year, down by 1.16 percent on Tuesday.
Samsung has also fallen behind its largest competitor, Apple, which saw a rise in the stock market and was up by 1.37 percent.
He and other Samsung executives predicted that 2025 would continue to bring hardships under new tariffs.
The South Korean tech giant faces particular challenges from President Donald Trump’s new tariffs, with Samsung’s Mexico production base facing a 25 per cent levy.
