Samsung Vice Chairman Fields Questions on Chairman Lee’s Health

On his visit to New York to attend the Global Roadshow, Yun Jong-yong, the vice chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics, said on September 26, “I heard that his condition was fine,” when talking about Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee’s health.

Yun added, “The final checkup results haven’t been revealed yet,” when people asked him about chairman Lee’s health during a luncheon meeting with Korean correspondents in New York.

However, Yun remained silent over where Lee was staying and when he would return to Korea after receiving precision tests at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, saying, “I have no idea whatsoever.”

Meanwhile, Lee reportedly moved his residence after undergoing the precision tests after arriving in the U.S. on September 4, when Hurricane Rita caused a mandatory evacuation. However, his whereabouts since then have yet to be confirmed.

When Yun was constantly questioned about Lee, he said, “I don’t know where Lee currently is because I’m too busy with my own work. What I should care about is Samsung Electronics. I didn’t even have time even to mention my U.S. business trip to the restructuring team manager Lee Hak-soo when I met him a day before leaving (for the U.S.) on September 25. Because every work authority is well delegated, such cases are not unusual,” he said.

Jong sik Kong kong@donga.com