Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor chief, Jun Young-hyun, head of the Device Solutions (DS) division, recently launched a series of executive meetings focusing on each segment of the company’s semiconductor business, marking his first official sessions with executives since taking office in May. The meetings are reportedly aimed at bolstering competitiveness and exploring potential personnel and cultural shifts ahead of year-end staffing changes.
Jun held the first meeting with Memory Business executives on Nov. 1, where participants discussed competitiveness strategies over a 90-minute session. The discussion focused on issues and improvement opportunities in memory technologies, including high-bandwidth memory (HBM). He is expected to hold similar discussions with heads of the System LSI (semiconductor design), Foundry (contract manufacturing), Semiconductor Research (new technologies), and Staff (business support) divisions throughout the week.
The timing of these meetings has sparked speculation about impending personnel changes, potentially as soon as late November. Industry attention is now on whether current leaders, such as Memory Business head Lee Jung-bae, Foundry head Choi Si-young, and System LSI head Park Yong-in—who have held their positions for three to four years—might be reassigned.
The sessions are also seen as part of an effort to renew Samsung’s corporate culture. Known for fostering solution-driven debate regardless of rank, Samsung has recently faced criticism for becoming increasingly bureaucratic. An industry source said that Jun encouraged executives to report candidly on their divisions’ issues and challenges during the discussions.
In an internal message to employees in August, Jun identified a lack of open communication as a factor in Samsung’s declining semiconductor competitiveness. “Regardless of rank or position, we need to acknowledge setbacks and embrace challenges openly,” he said. “We must restore the semiconductor division’s culture of transparent, rigorous debate.”
