To Discuss Ways to Expand Cooperation
Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong has held a series of meetings with leaders of Keidanren or the Japan Business Federation.
According to Samsung Electronics on July 5, Lee had dinner with Keidanren Chairman Masakazu Tokura, who visited Korea on July 4 to attend the Korea-Japan Business Conference. The two reportedly discussed ways to promote exchanges between Korea and Japan and stabilize supply chains. Tokura is chairman of Sumitomo Chemical. The company supplies polarizing films for OLED smartphones to Samsung Electronics.
Lee had a luncheon with Toshiaki Higashihara, Keidanren vice chairman and chairman of Hitachi Group. The two discussed ways to cooperate in the semiconductor business. Samsung Electronics is supplying semiconductors to Hitachi.
Samsung Electronics has maintained close relationships with Japanese companies, including supply of parts and human resources exchanges. Samsung Group's late chairman, who is also father of Lee Jae-yong, created the Lee Kunhee Japanese Friends in 1993 to promote cooperation with major Japanese electronic parts manufacturers.
Lee Jae-yong has also shown steady interest in Japan. He graduated from the Department of Oriental History at Seoul National University and earned his master’s degree at the Graduate School of Keio University in Japan. In December 2019, he also met with Keidanren leaders to discuss ways to cooperate with each other. Lee also met with SoftBank chairman Masayoshi Son when the latter flew into Korea in 2013, 2014 and 2019.