In regulatory filings, Samsung has announced the passing of its co-CEO and Vice Chairman, Han Jong-Hee, at the age of 63 due to a heart attack. Han, a longtime leader at the company, played a crucial role in Samsung’s dominance in the global television market and spearheaded innovations in display technology.​
Young-Hyun Jun to Serve as Sole CEO
With Han’s passing, Young-Hyun Jun, who was recently appointed co-CEO, will now serve as the sole Chief Executive Officer. Jun, a veteran executive, previously led Samsung’s Memory Business and Samsung SDI and was named Head of Device Solutions (DS) in 2024, according to Samsung.
According to a company biography, Han joined Samsung in 1988 and became the President and Head of the Visual Display Business in 2017. He was instrumental in the development of Samsung’s LED TVs and video processing technologies. In 2021, he was appointed Head of the Device eXperience (DX) division and was later promoted to Vice Chairman and CEO in 2022, overseeing the company’s digital appliances and mobile business.
Han Oversaw Strong Age of Leadership in High-End TVs as Samsung Co-CEO
Samsung’s leadership transition comes at a time of heightened competition in the consumer electronics and semiconductor industries. Han’s contributions, particularly in display technology, have left a lasting impact on Samsung’s global presence as it fends off TV competitors like LG, TCL and Hisense.
Samsung TVs are among the most popular on the market, with The Frame, OLED models and QLED TVs frequently cited as some of the best TVs available for consumers. Last month, Samsung, citing Omdia, claimed its 19th consecutive year as the global leader in the TV market, achieving a 28.3% market share in 2024. Samsung credited the achievement to the company’s commitment to premium and ultra-large screen innovation, as well as the introduction of AI-powered TVs.
The company claimed leadership in the high-end TV market, particularly in the premium and ultra-large segments. In the premium market, defined as TVs over $2,500, Samsung captured a 49.6% market share. In the ultra-large segment, Samsung led with a 28.7% market share.
However, recent research suggests that Chinese manufacturers TCL and Hisense are beginning to take some of that market share. Â
Samsung also says it took a 46.8% share of the QLED segment with 8.34 million units sold, as the global QLED market surpassed 10% of total TV sales for the first time. Meanwhile, Samsung’s OLED TV sales reached 1.44 million units, securing a 27.3% market share. Samsung also said it had a 42% year-over-year growth in OLED TV unit sales and a 4.6% increase in market share.
