2. Move fast and break things

The 2014 heart attack of Samsung Chairman K.H. Lee ignited a volatile succession crisis, threatening the stability of the conglomerate as his son, J.Y. Lee, struggled to secure control amidst a 60% inheritance tax and public skepticism. This transition highlights the precarious nature of South Korea’s chaebol system, where corporate survival has historically hinged on complex political bargains. Founder Lee Byung-chul’s legacy, marked by the infamous 1960s saccharin smuggling scandal, underscores the fraught relationship between Samsung and the state, where military leaders like Park Chung-hee leveraged their power to force corporate compliance. Journalists and scholars, including Geoffrey Cain and Sojin Lim, provide critical context on how these early power dynamics shaped Samsung’s global dominance and the immense challenges now facing the next generation of leadership in maintaining the family’s grip on the empire.