Samsung Electronics co-CEO dies of heart attack

Samsung Electronics co-chairman Han Jong-hee has died of a heart attack at the age of 63. The tech giant will be led by newly appointed CEO Jun Young-hyun, Reuters reports.

Jong-hee was appointed CEO of Samsung Electronics in 2022. At the same time, he was also responsible for the company's consumer electronics and mobile device divisions.

Jun, who was promoted to co-CEO of Samsung last week, will remain the company's sole CEO. In 2024, he took charge of the semiconductor business, which has been losing ground to rivals SK Hynix and TSMC in the global market for artificial intelligence chips.

Samsung officials said Han, who was also a board member of the South Korean company, died in hospital while being treated for cardiac arrest. The tech giant has not yet decided who will replace him on the board.

Han Jong-hee joined Samsung nearly 40 years ago and built his career in the television business. One analyst, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said Han was a key figure in helping the tech giant make its television business a global powerhouse.