Park Hark-kyu Takes Over Business Support Office

Samsung’s Leadership Reshuffle: Jung Hyun-ho Steps Down as Park Hark-kyu Takes Over Business Support Office

Samsung Electronics has announced a major leadership change, marking the end of an era in its top management. Vice Chairman Chung Hyun-ho (정현호) is stepping down from his role as head of the Business Support Task Force – the conglomerate’s de facto control tower – and will retire from front-line management . The temporary task force, which has guided Samsung’s strategy for the past eight years, will be upgraded into a permanent Business Support Office led by President Park Hark-kyu (박학규) . This reshuffle not only signifies a generational shift in Samsung’s leadership but also formalizes a new structure to coordinate the group’s business strategy and support Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong in decision-making  .

Jung Hyun-ho’s Retirement from Front-line Management

Chung Hyun-ho attends a Samsung executive meeting in 2015 (file photo). Chung Hyun-ho, 65, has long been known as Lee Jae-yong’s right-hand man, operating behind the scenes as one of Samsung Group’s most powerful executives . He joined Samsung Electronics in 1983 and built his career in finance and strategic planning, serving in the Samsung Chairman’s Secretariat (the precursor to the Future Strategy Office) in the late 1980s . By 2011, Chung rose to lead the Management Support and Human Resources teams at Samsung’s Future Strategy Office (FSO), earning the trust of the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee as a key strategist . After a 2017 corruption scandal led to the disbandment of the FSO, Chung took charge of the newly formed Business Support Task Force and steered it for the next eight years . In Samsung’s decentralized post-2017 structure, he effectively became the coordinator of group-wide management affairs, solidifying his status as the conglomerate’s “control tower” chief advisor  .

Chung’s career highlights span Samsung’s modern history and strategic transitions:
• 1983: Joined Samsung Electronics, initially working in the company’s international finance unit. He later served in the Samsung Secretariat’s finance team, the group’s core strategic office at the time .
• 2010: Held executive roles in Samsung’s business divisions – for instance, he led the Wireless Business Unit support team and later headed the Digital Camera (Imaging) Division, reflecting the trust placed in him by Samsung’s top leadership  .
• 2011: Moved to the newly established Future Strategy Office, becoming head of Management Support and HR teams . In this capacity, he helped craft group-wide strategy and was a close aide to Chairman Lee Kun-hee.
• 2014: Promoted to Head of HR at the Future Strategy Office, where he oversaw group-wide personnel management and corporate restructuring. He was instrumental in executing Lee Jae-yong’s pragmatic restructuring drive, which saw Samsung refocus on core businesses and divest non-core units . (Notably, Chung and Lee Jae-yong share an alma mater, both having earned MBAs from Harvard Business School .)
• Feb 2017: Resigned from Samsung following the dissolution of the Future Strategy Office amid the “Choigate” corruption scandal that engulfed Samsung and South Korea’s presidency  . All FSO executives, including Chung, stepped down as part of Samsung’s effort to take responsibility for the scandal.
• Nov 2017: Rejoined Samsung Electronics as head of the newly created Business Support Task Force, at a time when Lee Jae-yong (then Vice Chairman) was navigating leadership in the absence of a formal control tower . Chung’s return, about 8 months after his resignation, signaled Samsung’s move to quietly re-establish coordination functions without reviving the controversial FSO.
• 2018–2025: Led the Business Support TF for 8 years, coordinating major decisions and inter-affiliate projects. Under his tenure, Samsung adopted a decentralized governance structure, though the task force served as a behind-the-scenes nerve center for group strategy . Chung was elevated to Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics, one of only two vice chairmen at the company (alongside Jun Young-hyun of the Device Solutions division) .
• Nov 2025: Steps down from the task force leadership and retires from active management. Samsung announced that Chung would assume an advisory role to the Chairman, focusing on mentoring and long-term strategy support .

Chung’s departure is seen as a voluntary “yongto (용퇴)” – a stepping aside for the next generation. According to a Samsung spokesperson, Chung expressed his intention to step down to focus on nurturing future leaders now that Samsung’s business is back on track . Indeed, Samsung’s fortunes have recently improved after a difficult period, easing the pressure on leadership. In the third quarter of 2025, the company posted record-high revenues of 86.1 trillion won (~$59 billion) amid a rebound in the semiconductor market  . Chung’s new post as Chairman’s Advisor is largely honorary , signaling that he will no longer be involved in day-to-day management. This move allows a generational leadership shift, as younger executives take the helm while Samsung transitions out of an “emergency” management mode .

It’s worth noting that Chung’s leadership, while pivotal, was not without criticism. In recent years, Samsung’s semiconductor division (Device Solutions) briefly lost its technological lead in cutting-edge memory chips, raising questions about whether the group’s strategy under Chung’s finance-centric guidance was too conservative . Some industry observers speculated that he may have missed key investment opportunities by prioritizing financial caution over bold R&D spending . However, with markets now rebounding and Samsung accelerating efforts in areas like high-bandwidth memory (HBM4) to catch up with rivals  , the leadership change comes at an opportune moment. “Now that Samsung is recovering from a difficult period, Chairman Lee appears to have decided that it was time to bring in a new leadership team,” one industry source said of Lee Jae-yong’s decision to initiate the reshuffle .

Park Hark-kyu Takes Charge of the Business Support Office

Park Hark-kyu, newly appointed head of Samsung’s Business Support Office. Stepping into Chung’s shoes is Park Hark-kyu, who has been appointed as the first chief of the now-permanent Business Support Office . Park is a veteran Samsung executive highly regarded for his financial acumen and management expertise . Having joined Samsung Electronics in the late 1980s, Park built his career in the company’s finance and strategy functions. He worked in the accounting and finance department at Samsung Electronics and later served in the elite Chairman’s Secretariat Office (and its successor, the Future Strategy Office) earlier in his career . Colleagues describe him as “재무통” – a finance guru – with a meticulous and determined approach to management .

Park’s experience spans multiple Samsung divisions, giving him a well-rounded perspective of the business. He has held key management support roles in the display panel and mobile phone divisions, among others . In 2020, Park was named Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Samsung’s crucial semiconductor arm, the Device Solutions (DS) division, where he oversaw the chip business’s finances . Two years later, in 2022, he became the CFO of Samsung’s Device eXperience (DX) division – which covers smartphones, TVs, and appliances – a role he held until late 2024 . Under his financial leadership, Samsung navigated a period of heavy investment in chip fabrication plants and emerging technologies, demonstrating Park’s ability to balance bold spending with fiscal prudence.

In December 2024, Park transitioned out of the CFO post and joined the Business Support Task Force . This move placed him directly under Chung Hyun-ho, where Park could be groomed in the intricacies of the group-wide coordination role. Over the past year, he worked closely with Chung and contributed to the task force’s operations, effectively acting as a deputy control tower chief. His strong performance and familiarity with the task force’s agenda made him the natural successor. Samsung officially praises Park for his “expertise in financial affairs and business management” across various units , as well as for a hands-on, thorough approach to executing projects .

Park Hark-kyu’s profile and career milestones include:
• Education: (unofficial) Born in 1966, Park is part of the post-war generation of Samsung leaders . (Details about his education are not publicly highlighted, but like many top Samsung executives, he has a strong background in finance and corporate planning.)
• Early Career: Began in Samsung Electronics’ finance department, later serving in the Samsung Secretariat (the group’s central planning office) where he contributed to group-wide strategic initiatives . He was involved in the now-disbanded Future Strategy Office as well, indicating he was among the trusted planners guiding Samsung’s cross-affiliate strategy .
• Business Unit Roles: Held senior finance and management roles in product divisions – including Samsung Display and the Mobile Communications (smartphone) unit – providing him with operational insight beyond pure finance . This cross-divisional experience honed Park’s ability to coordinate and evaluate diverse business areas.
• 2020: Appointed CFO of Device Solutions (DS), Samsung’s semiconductor division . In this capacity, Park managed the budgets and investments for memory and logic chip operations, during a time of aggressive capacity expansion and global chip competition.
• 2022: Took over as CFO of Device eXperience (DX) division , overseeing finances for Samsung’s consumer electronics and mobile businesses. His tenure saw Samsung through supply chain challenges and recovery from the pandemic-era downturn in some consumer markets, requiring prudent financial planning.
• Late 2024: Moved to Samsung’s Business Support TF as President of Corporate Management, aligning him with the group’s top strategic team . He was effectively second-in-command to Chung Hyun-ho, learning the ropes of Samsung’s control tower operations.
• Nov 2025: Promoted to Head of the Business Support Office, with the title of President (사장) at Samsung Electronics . In this new role, Park becomes Samsung’s chief coordinator for strategy, reporting directly to Chairman Lee Jae-yong. He is tasked with guiding Samsung’s overall business direction, identifying new growth opportunities, and ensuring synergy across the conglomerate’s various subsidiaries .

Park’s elevation is widely seen as part of Lee Jae-yong’s move to install a new generation of leadership. At 59, Park is younger than his predecessor and represents continuity combined with fresh perspective. His deep roots in Samsung’s financial and strategic functions suggest he will maintain Samsung’s emphasis on disciplined management, but his broad experience may also drive a more proactive search for new growth engines. Industry analysts note that Park’s appointment underscores the importance of financial expertise at the top – a reflection of Samsung’s need to balance bold investments (in areas like AI, semiconductors, biotechnology, etc.) with sound risk management in an uncertain global economy  .

Lee Jae-yong’s Decisive Role and the End of “Emergency” Management

This leadership transition at Samsung Electronics is reportedly a direct result of Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s decision-making . Lee, who took over as Samsung’s chairman in 2022, has been gradually solidifying his control over the conglomerate’s management after years of legal hurdles and a somewhat cautious approach to major changes. In July 2025, Korea’s Supreme Court acquitted Lee Jae-yong of all charges related to the controversial 2015 merger of Samsung C&T with Cheil Industries and alleged accounting fraud at Samsung Biologics . This final court decision cleared Lee of the “judicial risks” that had shadowed him for years and had contributed to Samsung’s conservative stance in corporate governance . (Lee had earlier served jail time for bribery in the Park Geun-hye influence-peddling scandal, before receiving a pardon in 2022 .) Freed from these uncertainties, Lee has gained the confidence and latitude to reshape Samsung’s leadership structure.

The timing of Chung’s retirement and Park’s promotion appears to align with Samsung’s improving business climate. “Now that Samsung Electronics is recovering from a difficult period, … Lee … decided that it was time to bring in a new leadership team,” an industry insider explained, suggesting that Lee Jae-yong seized the moment to refresh his executive lineup . Over the past year, Samsung faced criticism for lagging in certain tech races (for example, high-bandwidth memory chips crucial for AI) . But with a strong third-quarter performance in 2025 and positive signs in its core markets , Samsung is at a turning point. Lee’s choice to make an early executive reshuffle (ahead of the typical year-end schedule) was also influenced by practical considerations, such as his busy overseas travel plans, indicating he wanted the new team in place without delay .

From a broader perspective, this move marks the end of Samsung’s “emergency management system” that had been in effect since 2017 . When the Future Strategy Office was dismantled in 2017 due to the corruption scandal, Samsung deliberately avoided creating another central “control tower” and instead let each affiliate operate more autonomously, with the Business Support TF acting quietly in the background. This was seen as an interim, emergency measure to avoid further controversy and to show compliance with reforms. Now, by formally establishing the Business Support Office, Samsung is signaling a return to a stable, normalized governance structure . The new office serves as an official coordination hub for the group’s strategy, suggesting that Samsung’s period of ad-hoc management has come to a close. Lee Jae-yong’s leadership is no longer under a cloud of legal uncertainty, allowing him to openly implement a long-term strategic command center (albeit a scaled-down version of the old one) for what he calls “New Samsung.”

Samsung insiders and the broader business community view this development as part of Lee’s efforts to usher in a new era of leadership and accountability. Over the past decade, Samsung’s top management had been somewhat restrained – major decisions (like M&As or bold investments) were often put on hold or made cautiously due to the conglomerate’s leadership vacuum and external scrutiny . With Lee’s legal vindication and the establishment of the Business Support Office, Samsung can more confidently pursue big strategic moves. It’s a “new phase” for Samsung Electronics – moving past the turbulence of legal battles and the informal management structures, into a phase where a formal team led by trusted experts like Park Hark-kyu will drive the company’s future direction .

Crucially, Samsung officials emphasize that the new Business Support Office is not a resurrection of the old Future Strategy Office in name or scale. “Since the task force remained a temporary organization for a long time, the reshuffle is aimed at stabilizing the organization,” a Samsung Electronics official noted, stressing that the new office is much smaller than the former FSO and has “nothing to do with re-establishing a control tower”  . In other words, the stated purpose of this change is to improve efficiency and stability in management support, rather than to centralize power. The Business Support Office will continue the coordination functions the task force performed – such as aligning business strategies between Samsung Electronics and its affiliates, and supporting key decision-making processes for the Chairman – but it will do so as a standing organization with clearly defined sub-units  .

The New Business Support Office: Structure and Focus

The newly institutionalized Business Support Office is organized into three teams, reflecting its broad mandate over strategy, oversight, and talent – Strategy, Management Diagnosis, and People . Each team will handle a critical aspect of corporate governance:
• Strategy Team: Led by President Choi Yoon-ho, who previously headed the management diagnosis office at Samsung Global Research . This team will focus on high-level strategic planning, identifying new business opportunities, and ensuring Samsung stays ahead of industry trends. Choi’s background in corporate strategy and diagnostics suggests he will analyze Samsung’s competitive position and chart future directions, reporting to Park Hark-kyu.
• Management Diagnosis Team: Led by Executive Vice President Joo Chang-hoon, formerly a key member of the Business Support TF . This team is essentially an internal audit and efficiency unit – it will assess the health of Samsung’s various businesses, troubleshoot issues, and recommend improvements. Notably, Samsung has moved its Management Diagnosis Office (formerly under Samsung Global Research) into the Business Support Office, integrating this auditing function to strengthen the new control tower’s oversight capabilities .
• People Team: Led by Executive Vice President Moon Hee-dong, another veteran of the Business Support TF . This team will oversee leadership development, succession planning, and HR strategy across the group. Essentially, it ensures that Samsung has the right talent in place for key roles and that the corporate culture and personnel policies align with the company’s strategic goals. Given Samsung’s emphasis on meritocracy and revitalizing its ranks, the People Team will be central to grooming the next generation of Samsung executives (fulfilling the mandate Chung Hyun-ho alluded to in stepping down).

The mission of the Business Support Office is to enhance Samsung’s business competitiveness and scout for new growth opportunities . In practice, this means the office will coordinate large-scale projects that involve multiple Samsung affiliates (for example, collaborative efforts in AI, semiconductor supply chain investments, or entering new industries). It will also serve as a sounding board for major decisions by the Chairman, much like the old control tower did, but with what Samsung insists is a leaner team and more transparent modus operandi . By having dedicated sub-teams for strategy, auditing, and talent, the new office aims to drive synergy across Samsung’s diverse businesses – from chips and smartphones to biotechnology and construction – while keeping a close eye on execution and maintaining accountability.

Samsung’s leadership reshuffle is being closely watched as a barometer of the conglomerate’s future direction. With Chung Hyun-ho’s departure, an older generation associated with the Lee Kun-hee era is stepping back. In their place, Park Hark-kyu and peers represent the Lee Jae-yong era, emphasizing pragmatism, global outlook, and innovation. The fact that Samsung has chosen to institutionalize its coordination team after years of avoiding a central command structure suggests that the group is confident it can do so without repeating past governance mistakes. The “New Samsung” Lee Jae-yong often speaks of may feature a more agile yet accountable leadership framework, balancing the decentralized agility gained over the past few years with the unified strategic push that a central office can provide.

Conclusion

In summary, Chung Hyun-ho’s exit and Park Hark-kyu’s rise mark a significant turning point for Samsung. The establishment of the Business Support Office as a permanent fixture signals a formal end to the transitional period that followed the 2017 disbandment of Samsung’s control tower . It underscores that Samsung is entering a new chapter where leadership succession is being finalized and long-term strategy is being prioritized. Armed with a clean legal slate and bolstered by improving business performance, Lee Jae-yong is actively reshaping Samsung’s top ranks and corporate structure to ensure the company’s dominance in the years ahead.

Observers expect that with this change, Samsung will be better positioned to make bold moves — whether it’s large-scale investments, M&A for new technologies, or swift pivots in the face of industry disruption. Further executive changes are anticipated in the near future as part of this early leadership reshuffle, which was executed ahead of schedule due to Lee’s forward-looking agenda . All eyes will be on Park Hark-kyu and the Business Support Office to see how effectively they can act as Samsung’s nerve center, steering the conglomerate through intensifying global competition. If successful, this governance evolution will have validated Lee Jae-yong’s approach to balancing Samsung’s storied legacy with a modernized, resilient leadership model – one that can drive “New Samsung” to new heights while avoiding the pitfalls of the past.

Sources:
• Park Hae-lee, “Samsung chief’s right-hand man steps back in early leadership reshuffle.” Korea JoongAng Daily. Nov. 7, 2025    .
• Nam Hyun-woo, “Samsung chairman’s top aide to step down from control tower role.” The Korea Times. Nov. 7, 2025    .
• Hyunjoo Jin & Joyce Lee, “Samsung Elec names new head of its key decision-making body.” Reuters. Nov. 7, 2025  .
• Jin Eun-soo, “Samsung Electronics names new CFO and sets up an AI center.” Korea JoongAng Daily. Dec. 4, 2024 .
• Business Post, “[Who Is?] Jung Hyun-ho Samsung Electronics Business Support T/F President.” Nov. 20, 2017   .