Lee Gun-hee’s incessant innovation brings Samsung to success

Samsung School Book

In our childhood, we considered ourselves the last generation of 1952 revolution. I was born in 1963, and then it was very clear that we live under the umbrella of values and slogans of Nasser revolution. Something we were proud of, as many are still, is that time was when Nasser built the High Dam, took back the Suez Canal, established the steel industries, gathering the non-aligned states from three continents, formed the idea of Arab unity, strengthened the ties with Africa, to help its countries getting liberation, teaching African students in all forms of educational institutions in Cairo, and spread our belief in the value of WORK.

On the back covers of all of our books and notebooks of that time, we used to read many statements addressed to students as facts to be trusting in; and the most significant one, I can always remember is; “Work is right. Work is duty. Work is life.” That was the most important key of that era.

I recalled those work manifesto lines when I read the story of Samsung. For me, it did seem a success of men as much as a success story for the idea of work. Work hard. Work for yourself as you do for others. Work for your family as much you do for the nation. Work for the whole human beings. Actually, Samsung is briefed in those early lines I loved, studied by heart, and kept myself as much as I could committed to them; “Work is right. Work is duty. Work is life”.

I feel I am lucky that during my six visits to the Republic of Korea, I used to have the chance to see some of Samsung quarters, once it was the museum that introduced me to the very humble beginnings of this revolutionary industrial icon, another to visit – more than once – the showcase of the company and its vision of the future. What I liked much was R&D at Samsung.

Samsung believes that innovation is crucial in its business. As new technologies are being constantly introduced to the market, speed is essential for continuous competitive, especially in today’s digital era. So the work in ; R&D department is essential. The number of those working in R&D section is amazing; More than a quarter of all Samsung employees— over 45,000 people—work everyday in research and development, as I was told during my recent visit this autumn to Samsung arena for visitors, who could really enjoy the world of Samsung, free. Even I saw girls dancing on a digital carpet, with headphones, on the tunes of  GANGNAM STYLE. This is the core of happiness to feel home even in a business area!

What I could dream of is a notebook for every buyer of Samsung product, all over the world, gifted for children, to re-narrate the success story of Samsung. A school book dedicated for the years of innovation, written on the times of thinking humanly, the era of reading the future, and the decades of hard and sincere work. A school that Mr. Samsung Lee Gun-hee, on celebrating the 25th anniversary to became CEO, is sending his message through it, for our children, may be sketched in Manhwa, telling them the Work story that will last forever. With Samsung I recalled my best line; Work is right. Work is duty. Work is life. Let our children live with it, and live for that, to enjoy their lives.