On March 25, Samsung announced that Han Jong-hee, the company's Co-CEO, had passed away at the age of 63 due to cardiac arrest.

According to a Samsung spokesperson, Han Jong-hee died while receiving treatment at a hospital in South Korea. The spokesperson added that a successor has not yet been decided.

Meanwhile, Chosun Biz reported that Han suffered cardiac arrest after attending his daughter's wedding on March 22. He was taken to Seoul Samsung Hospital for emergency treatment but did not survive. He had been scheduled to give a speech at a company event on March 26.

Han Jong-hee's funeral will take place on March 27.

Han Jong-hee joined Samsung in 1988 and was credited with leading the company to global dominance in the TV market. He was appointed Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics in 2022. He was also a member of the company's board of directors, overseeing the mobile and consumer electronics divisions. Samsung has another CEO, Jun Young-hyun, who is responsible for the semiconductor business.

According to Reuters, Han’s passing comes at a time when Samsung’s mobile division is facing increasing competition, particularly from Apple and Chinese brands. In other consumer electronics sectors such as TVs, refrigerators, and washing machines, the South Korean company is also struggling to maintain its market position.

Before his passing, Han Jong-hee had held several meetings regarding Samsung's current situation. Most recently, on March 19, during a shareholder meeting in Suwon, he openly acknowledged that the company's technological competitiveness had weakened in recent years. He also committed to "pursuing meaningful achievements" to drive recovery this year, including strategies for mergers and acquisitions.