Jump to content

Lee Byung-chul: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
top: ce
Line 58: Line 58:
==External links==
==External links==
*[http://hoamprize.samsungfoundation.org/eng/hoam/hoam_intro.asp Biography on Ho-Am Prize Website]
*[http://hoamprize.samsungfoundation.org/eng/hoam/hoam_intro.asp Biography on Ho-Am Prize Website]
*[http://www.urisov.com/samsung/ Samsung Group]
* [https://monthly.chosun.com/client/news/viw_contentA.asp?nNewsNumb=201003100051&ctcd=&cPage=1 <nowiki>[</nowiki>호암캠프<nowiki>]</nowiki> 호암 이병철의 사회 공헌 활동“조상의 아름다운 전통을 잇는 데 큰 관심”]
* [https://monthly.chosun.com/client/news/viw_contentA.asp?nNewsNumb=201003100051&ctcd=&cPage=1 <nowiki>[</nowiki>호암캠프<nowiki>]</nowiki> 호암 이병철의 사회 공헌 활동“조상의 아름다운 전통을 잇는 데 큰 관심”]
* [http://www.mediatoday.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=99272 죽은 이병철의 산 교훈] 미디어오늘 2011-12-21
* [http://www.mediatoday.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=99272 죽은 이병철의 산 교훈] 미디어오늘 2011-12-21

Revision as of 13:09, 20 December 2014

Template:Korean name

Lee Byung-chul
Born(1910-02-12)February 12, 1910
DiedNovember 19, 1987(1987-11-19) (aged 77)
Seoul, South Korea
NationalityKorean
Alma materWaseda University in Tokyo
OccupationFounder of Samsung Group
Korean name
Hangul
이병철
Hanja
李秉喆
Revised RomanizationI Byeongcheol
McCune–ReischauerYi Pyŏngch'ŏl

Lee Byung-chul (February 12, 1910 Uiryeong, Gyeongsangnam-do – November 19, 1987 Seoul) was the founder of the Samsung Group and one of South Korea's most successful businessmen. With the breakup of the Hyundai chaebol, Samsung is now South Korea's largest business group[1]

Early life

He was the son of a wealthy landowning family (a branch of the Gyeongju Lee clan). He attended college at Waseda University in Tokyo, but he did not complete his degree.[2]

Career

Upon the early death of his father, he used his inheritance to open a rice mill in his home town of Gyeongnam.[2]

Beginning

That endeavor was not especially successful so he established a trucking business in Daegu on March 1, 1938, which he named Samsung Trading Co, the forerunner to Samsung.[2] Samsung means "Three Stars" which explains the initial corporate logos.

By 1945 Samsung was transporting goods throughout Korea and to other countries. The company was based in Seoul by 1947. It was one of the ten largest "trading companies" when the Korean War started in 1950.[3] With the conquest of Seoul by the North Korean army, Lee was forced to relocate his business to Pusan. The massive influx of U.S. troops and equipment into Busan over the next year and a half of the war proved to be highly beneficial to Lee's trucking company.[3]

In 1961 when General Park seized power, Lee was in Japan and for some time he did not return to South Korea. Eventually a deal was struck and Lee returned but Samsung had to give up control over the banks it acquired and follow economic directives from Park's government.[3]

Cheil Worldwide

In 1953, he founded Cheil Sugar (currently CJ CheilJedang) which became very successful and profitable. Using the income from Cheil Sugar, he founded numerous other companies which sold products in a wide variety of markets: textiles (Cheil Wool Textile Co.), cars, insurance, department stores (Shinsegae), and consumer electronics.

Federation of Korean Industries

Later in life he served as chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries and was known as the richest man in Korea.[1]

Korean art collection

After his death, his estate (Ho-Am) was opened to the public for tours. His collection of Korean art is considered one of the largest and finest private collections in the country and it features a number of art objects that have been designated "National Treasures" by the Korean government.[4] Ho-Am is located a short distance from the Everland park, South Korea's most popular amusement park (Everland is also owned by the Samsung Group).

Ho-Am Prize

The Ho-Am Prize was founded in 1991, named after Lee's Art-name.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Bang, Jung-hyun, "Hail the Father of Business, Lee Byung-chul", Korea IT Times, February 11, 2010, [1] Cite error: The named reference "KTimes" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Woo, Jaeyeon, "Memorializing the Company Founder, With Ads, 3-D and Holograms", Wall Street Journal, July 22, 2011, Korea Realtime, [2]
  3. ^ a b c Watkins, Thaer, "The Chaebol of South Korea", Website, downloaded July 22, 2011, [3]
  4. ^ Ho Am Art Museum, "Official Web Site"
Business positions
Preceded by
Chairman of the Board of the Samsung Group
March 1938 – December 1987
Succeeded by

Template:Persondata