Lee Byung-chul
Founder of Samsung, South Korea’s largest business group
- Lived
- 77 yrs
- 1910 – 1987
- Works listed
- 0
- Career highlights
- Honours
- 0
- Awards & distinctions
- Profile views
- 3
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Lee Byung-chul was a South Korean businessman who founded Samsung in 1938 as a small trading company in Daegu. He built it into South Korea’s largest conglomerate, founding Samsung Electronics in 1969 and starting its memory-chip business in 1983. He died in 1987.
Biography
Background
Lee came from a wealthy landowning family and studied at Waseda University in Tokyo without graduating.
Samsung Trading
In 1938 he founded Samsung Sanghoe in Daegu, exporting dried fish, vegetables and noodles. After the Korean War he expanded into sugar, textiles and insurance.
Electronics
He founded Samsung Electronics in 1969, making black-and-white TVs, and in 1983 announced Samsung would make memory chips — a risky “Tokyo Declaration” that later made it the world leader.
Succession
He chose his third son, Lee Kun-hee, as successor. He died in 1987.
Timeline
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1910
Born in Uiryeong, South Gyeongsang, Korea
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1938
Founds Samsung Sanghoe
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1951
Samsung Moolsan in Busan
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1969
Founds Samsung Electronics
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1983
Enters semiconductors
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1987
Dies
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1987
Died, aged 77
Did you know?
-
1
Samsung means “three stars” in Korean.
-
2
He also founded the newspaper JoongAng Ilbo.
-
3
His family also founded CJ and Shinsegae groups.
Connections
Related people
Frequently asked
Who is Lee Byung-chul?
Lee Byung-chul was a South Korean businessman who founded Samsung in 1938 as a small trading company in Daegu. He built it into South Korea’s largest conglomerate, founding Samsung Electronics in 1969 and starting its memory-chip business in 1983. He died in 1987.
When did Lee Byung-chul die?
Lee Byung-chul died on 19 November 1987 at the age of 77.
Where is Lee Byung-chul from?
Lee Byung-chul was born in Uiryeong, South Gyeongsang, Korea.
What is Lee Byung-chul known for?
Lee Byung-chul is best known for Founding Samsung (1938); Samsung Electronics (1969); entering semiconductors (1983).
References
- Lee Byung-chul — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Lee Byung-chul (Q445643) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Lee Byung-chul”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Lee Byung-chul.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/lee-byung-chul
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