“ I will make Seoul’s heart beat strongly.”
Lee Seung-hyeon, chairman of Infac Korea and a businessman often described as a “Samsung man,” made the pledge on the 25th as he formally announced his bid for Seoul mayor. He spoke at a book concert in Seoul’s Jongno district marking the publication of his book, “Make Seoul’s Heart Beat Again,” held at the Korea Buddhist History and Culture Memorial Hall.
Lee said Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee told people in Seoul 34 years ago not to be intimidated, including in front of Japanese people, and that the message shaped him. Calling himself a CEO who can do business with anyone, Lee said he would “report” his ideas as the CEO of “Seoul Inc.”
Born in 1958 on Eoryongdo, a small island in Wando County, South Jeolla Province, Lee worked as a Samsung Electronics representative in Japan and later served as the first PM group head for Samsung Electronics LCD TVs. He is credited with helping lift Samsung TVs to No. 1 in global market share. He now leads Infac Korea and also serves as senior vice chairman of the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation, a non-standing vice chairman of the Korea International Trade Association, and head of the lay association at Jogyesa Temple.
Lee repeatedly argued that Seoul needs change. “Just as a heart must move to beat, Seoul must change,” he said, stressing innovation. He said what he learned from Samsung founders Lee Byung-chul and Lee Kun-hee was change and innovation, adding that a leader’s foresight and vision can determine the fate of a country and a company.
He said that in the late 1990s, Samsung TVs were stacked in a corner of U.S. retail stores and sold to international students with limited means, but that he helped make Samsung TVs the world’s top brand. He also described himself as a key figure who laid the foundation for “electronics powerhouse” South Korea.
Lee said Seoul has “lost its engine,” arguing that young people in their 20s and 30s are leaving for jobs in Gyeonggi Province and overseas. “Seoul has no middle,” he said, citing a lack of vision and good jobs, and warning that the city could “grow old and die” if nothing changes.
He presented a plan to build a “world No. 1 Seoul,” listing seven major pledges: hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics in Seoul; creating “20-minute living zones,” including an underground bus terminal in Itaewon; joint public-private use of Seongnam Airport; attracting global corporate headquarters; establishing public boarding schools in northern Seoul; sharply easing regulations on ultra-high-rise mixed-use buildings; and building an AI trade center.
Lee said an AI trade center would help small business owners use AI to do business worldwide without language barriers, and that self-employed people should be able to export anywhere around the clock.
Attendees at the book concert included Ven. Wonmyeong, chief monk of Jogyesa Temple; Lee Ki-nam, a former justice minister; Yang Hyang-ja, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party; Choi Jae-hyung, a former Board of Audit and Inspection chairman; and Kim Yong, a chair professor at Paichai University.
In congratulatory remarks, Yang said Lee was at the center when Samsung TVs “conquered” the global market, calling it history not only for Samsung but for the world. She described him as someone who steps forward even when the path is difficult and supports others even when it is painful.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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