Samsung changes 2 top officials

Choi Gee-sung, head of Samsung Group Corporate Strategy Office

Kwon Oh-hyun, CEO of Samsung Electronics

Conglomerate adopts emergency footing

Samsung Electronics said Thursday that its CEO and Vice Chairman Choi Gee-sung will serve as the head of the group’s future strategy planning division, which will make him the top secretary and right-hand man of Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

Kwon Oh-hyun, who has been the head of Samsung Electronics’ parts division, including its semiconductor and liquid crystal display (LCD) businesses, will be promoted to CEO of Samsung Electronics, replacing Choi.

The appointments are widely seen as the group’s preliminary move to adopt an emergency footing to brace for external shocks to be triggered by the deepening eurozone debt crisis.

“The new secretary is an ideal figure to help Samsung overcome the current economic uncertainties and cope with uphill competition from rivals,’’ said Rhee In-yong, chief communications officer, in a media briefing.

“Choi will support the chairman and handle next business strategies as part of the big picture,’’ he said.

Choi, who had previously served as the head of Samsung’s mobile division, is also known as a “private tutor’’ for heir-apparent Lee Jay-yong, who is currently chief operating officer of the electronics giant. Lee is the Samsung chairman’s only son.

The appointments came after outgoing secretary Kim Soon-taek recently offered his resignation.

The company will soon hold a board meeting to confirm the new appointments. Yoon Boo-keun, currently in charge of Samsung Electronics’ consumer electronics division, and Shin Jong-kyun, head of its mobile division, will retain their current positions.

The personnel changes came as a surprise as the group has traditionally waited until end of the year to initiate reshuffles. <Korea Times/Kim Yoo-chul>

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