Full History Of Samsung In Timeline From 1912

1912: Samsung Owns Stake in Sharp Corporation

In 1912, Samsung owns 3% of Sharp Corporation.

1938: Lee Byung-chul founds Mitsuboshi Trading Company

In 1938, Lee Byung-chul founded Mitsuboshi Trading Company, which later became Samsung Sanghoe, in Taikyu.

1938: Samsung Founded

In 1938, Lee Byung-chul founded Samsung as a trading company.

1947: Joint Investment in Samsung Mulsan Gongsa

In 1947, Cho Hong-jai jointly invested with Lee Byung-chul in Samsung Mulsan Gongsa (Samsung Trading Corporation).

1947: Samsung moves head office to Seoul

In 1947, Samsung moved its head office to Seoul.

January 1952: Korea Anbo Fire and Marine Insurance Founded in January 1952

In January 1952, Korea Anbo Fire and Marine Insurance, which later became Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, was founded.

1954: Lee founded Cheil Mojik

In 1954, Lee founded Cheil Mojik, a textiles company, and built the first plant in Chimsan-dong, Taegu.

March 1957: Dongbang Life Insurance Founded in March 1957

In March 1957, Dongbang Life Insurance, which later became Samsung Life Insurance, was founded.

July 1963: Samsung Life Insurance Becomes Affiliate of Samsung Group in July 1963

In July 1963, Dongbang Life Insurance became an affiliate of the Samsung Group.

1964: Byung-chul owns Tongyang Broadcasting Company

In 1964, Byung-chul also became the owner of the Tongyang Broadcasting Company.

January 1969: Samsung Engineering Founded in January 1969

In January 1969, Samsung Engineering, a multinational construction company, was founded in Seoul.

1973: Samsung Corning Precision Glass Joint Venture Established

In 1973, Samsung Corning Precision Glass was established as a joint venture between Samsung and Corning. The company was created to manufacture and market cathode ray tube glass for black and white televisions.

1973: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Established in 1973

In 1973, Samsung Electro-Mechanics was established as a manufacturer of key electronic components.

August 1974: Samsung Heavy Industries Founded in August 1974

In August 1974, Samsung Heavy Industries, a shipbuilding and engineering company, was founded in Seoul.

1975: Samsung Fire Listed on the Korea Exchange Stock Market in 1975

Since 1975 Samsung Fire has been listed on the Korea Exchange stock market.

1978: Samsung Thomson-CSF Co., Ltd. Established in 1978

In 1978, Samsung Thomson-CSF Co., Ltd. (later known as Samsung Thales Co., Ltd.) was established as a joint venture between Samsung-Techwin and the France-based aerospace and defense company Thales.

March 1979: Hotel Shilla Opened in March 1979

In March 1979, Hotel Shilla (also known as "The Shilla") opened.

1979: Samsung Electronics Becomes Second-Largest Shareholder in Seagate Technology

In 1979, Samsung Electronics acquired a 9.6% stake in Seagate Technology.

1979: Samsung Oil & Gas USA Corp. Invests in Taylor Energy

In 1979, Samsung Oil & Gas USA Corp. currently owns 20% of Taylor Energy.

1980: Samsung Acquired Hanguk Jeonja Tongsin

In 1980, Samsung acquired Hanguk Jeonja Tongsin and entered the telecommunications hardware industry.

1980: Tongyang Broadcasting Company Shut Down

In 1980, the Tongyang Broadcasting Company was shut down after the Korean government reviewed the number of media outlets allowed.

1982: Television Assembly Plant in Portugal

In 1982, Samsung built a television assembly plant in Portugal.

1984: Television Assembly Plant in New York

In 1984, Samsung built a television assembly plant in New York.

March 1985: Samsung SDS Founded in March 1985

In March 1985, Samsung SDS, a multinational IT service company, was founded.

1985: Television Assembly Plant in Tokyo

In 1985, Samsung built a television assembly plant in Tokyo.

1987: Year of Lee Byung-chul's death

1987 was the year of the death of Lee Byung-chul.

1987: Lee Byung-chul's Death and Division of Samsung

After Lee Byung-chul's death in 1987, Samsung was divided into five business groups.

1987: Separation into Five Business Groups

After the founder's death in 1987, Samsung Group was separated into five business groups.

1987: Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) Established in 1987

In 1987, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) was established.

1987: Television Assembly Plant in England

In 1987, Samsung built a television assembly plant in England.

1987: Unlawful Sale of Computer Chips

In 1987, the United States International Trade Commission found that Samsung unlawfully sold computer chips in the United States without licenses from Texas Instruments Inc.

1989: Samsung BP Chemicals Joint Venture Established

In 1989, Samsung BP Chemicals was established as a 49:51 joint venture between Samsung and the UK-based BP. The company focuses on producing high-value-added chemical products.

1989: Samsung Engineering Invests in Sungjin Geotec

In 1989, Samsung Engineering holds a 10% stake in Sungjin Geotec.

1990: MEMC and Samsung Establish Joint Venture to Build Silicon Plant in Korea

In 1990, MEMC entered into a joint venture agreement with Samsung to construct a silicon plant in Korea. This venture led to the creation of MEMC Korea Company.

1990: Samsung Electronics Acquires Stake in Rambus Incorporated

In 1990, Samsung Electronics acquired a 4.19% stake in Rambus Incorporated.

1990: Increased Globalization

Since 1990, Samsung has increasingly globalised its activities and electronics.

1991: Hansol Separates from Samsung Group

In 1991, Hansol separated from the Samsung Group, severing all payment guarantees and share-holding ties.

1991: Samsung Electronics Buys Stake in Pantech

In 1991, Samsung Electronics bought a 10% stake in rival phone maker Pantech.

1992: Largest producer of memory chips

In 1992, Samsung became the world's largest producer of memory chips.

December 1993: Name Change to Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance in December 1993

In December 1993, Korea Anbo Fire and Marine Insurance was renamed Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance.

1993: Separation of CJ CheilJedang from Samsung Group

In 1993, CJ CheilJedang separated from Samsung Group, leading to a rivalry between Lee Kun-hee and his older brother Lee Jay-hyun.

1993: Lee Kun-hee Restructures Samsung

In 1993, Lee Kun-hee sold off ten of Samsung Group's subsidiaries and merged operations to concentrate on electronics, engineering, and chemicals.

November 1994: Samsung Medical Center Founded in November 1994

In November 1994, the Samsung Medical Center was founded.

1994: Samsung Card Invests in Renault Korea Motors

In 1994, Samsung Card acquired 19.9% of Renault Korea Motors.

March 1995: Cologne District Court Prohibits Advertising and Sale of Rollei Watches in Germany

In March 1995, the Cologne District Court prohibited the advertising and sale of Rollei watches in Germany.

1995: Samsung Acquires Stake in AST Research

In 1995, Samsung bought a 40% stake in AST Research in an attempt to enter the North American computer market.

1995: First liquid-crystal display screen

In 1995, Samsung created its first liquid-crystal display screen.

1995: Samsung Invests in FUBU

In 1995, Samsung's textile department invested in FUBU, an American hip hop apparel company.

1995: Steco Joint Venture Established in 1995

In 1995, Steco, a joint venture between Samsung Electronics and Japan's Toray Industries, was established.

1995: Stemco Joint Venture Established

In 1995, Stemco was established as a joint venture between Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Toray Industries.

1996: Samsung Corning Opens First LCD Glass Substrate Facility

In 1996, Samsung Corning Precision Glass opened its first LCD glass substrate manufacturing facility in Gumi, South Korea.

1996: Facility in Austin, Texas

In 1996, Samsung built a facility in Austin, Texas.

1996: Samsung Group Reacquires Sungkyunkwan University Foundation

In 1996, the Samsung Group reacquired the Sungkyunkwan University foundation.

1997: S-1 Founded as Korea's First Specialized Security Business

In 1997, S-1 was established as Korea's first specialized security business. S1 Corporation is now listed on the Korea Exchange stock-exchange.

1997: Asian Financial Crisis and Sale of Samsung Motor

In 1997, Samsung survived the Asian financial crisis but had to sell Samsung Motor to Renault at a loss.

July 1998: Start of DRAMs price cartel

In July 1998, Samsung joined a DRAM price cartel.

1998: Alpha Processor Inc. (API) Established in 1998

In 1998, Alpha Processor Inc. (API) was established as a joint venture with U.S.-based Compaq, to enter the high-end microprocessor market.

1998: GE Samsung Lighting Established in 1998

In 1998, GE Samsung Lighting, a joint venture between Samsung and the GE Lighting subsidiary of General Electric, was established.

1998: Renault Samsung Motors Expands into Car Related Transactions

In 1998, Renault Samsung Motors began making car related transactions.

1998: Nokia Remains Market Leader

Nokia held the position of market leader since 1998.

April 1999: Start of DRAM microchip price fixing

In April 1999, Samsung was involved in DRAM microchip price fixing.

1999: Brooks Automation and Samsung Joint Venture Established

In 1999, Brooks Automation Asia Co., Ltd. was established as a joint venture between Brooks Automation (70%) and Samsung (30%). The venture focuses on manufacturing and configuring vacuum wafer handling platforms and other related products.

1999: Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) Founded

In 1999, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) was founded as a merger of aerospace divisions including Samsung Aerospace.

1999: Rollei Management Buys Out the Company from Samsung

In 1999, Rollei management bought out the company from Samsung.

1999: Samtron Becomes Independent in 1999

In 1999, Samtron was a subsidiary of Samsung until it became independent.

2000: Global Steel Exchange Joint Venture Formed in 2000

In 2000, Global Steel Exchange was a joint venture formed between Samsung, the U.S.-based Cargill, the Switzerland-based Duferco Group, and the Luxembourg-based Tradearbed to handle their online buying and selling of steel.

2000: R&D Center Opened in Warsaw

In 2000, Samsung R&D opened a development center in Warsaw, Poland.

2001: Samsung Thomson-CSF Co., Ltd. Renamed in 2001

In 2001, Samsung Thomson-CSF Co., Ltd. was renamed Samsung Thales Co., Ltd.

June 2002: End of DRAM microchip price fixing

In June 2002, the DRAM microchip price fixing ended.

June 2002: End of DRAMs price cartel

In June 2002, the DRAM price cartel ended.

2003: Samtron Becomes Samsung in 2003

In 2003 Samtron became Samsung when Samtron was a brand, and the website redirected to Samsung.

April 2004: S-LCD Corporation Established in April 2004

In April 2004, S-LCD Corporation was established as a joint venture between Samsung Electronics and Sony Corporation.

October 2004: SD Flex Co., Ltd. Founded as a Joint Venture

In October 2004, SD Flex Co., Ltd. was founded as a joint venture corporation by Samsung and DuPont.

2004: Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology Corporation (TSST) Joint Venture Formed in 2004

In 2004, Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology Corporation (TSST), a joint venture between Samsung Electronics and Toshiba of Japan specializing in optical disc drive manufacturing, was formed.

July 2005: Samsung Air China Life Insurance Established in July 2005

In July 2005, Samsung Air China Life Insurance, a 50:50 joint venture between Samsung Life Insurance and China National Aviation Holding, was established in Beijing.

2006: S-LCD Joint Venture with Sony

In 2006, S-LCD was established as a joint venture between Samsung and Sony to provide LCD panels.

October 2007: Uncovering of Lee Kun-hee's Slush Fund

In October 2007, Kim Yong-chul, the former head of the legal department at Samsung's Restructuring Office, and Catholic Priests Association for Justice uncovered Lee Kun-hee's slush fund.

2007: POSS – SLPC s.r.o. Founded as a Subsidiary

In 2007, POSS – SLPC s.r.o. was founded as a subsidiary of Samsung C & T Corporation, Samsung C & T Deutschland and the company POSCO.

2007: Bribery Allegations by Former Lawyer

In 2007, former Samsung chief lawyer Kim Yong Chul claimed involvement in bribing and fabricating evidence on behalf of Lee Kun-hee and the company.

March 2008: Samsung Begins Construction of First Mobile Phone Plant in Vietnam

In March 2008, Samsung began construction of its first mobile phone manufacturing plant in Vietnam.

June 2008: SB LiMotive Joint Venture Founded

In June 2008, SB LiMotive was founded as a 50:50 joint company of Robert Bosch GmbH and Samsung SDI. The joint venture develops and manufactures lithium-ion batteries.

June 2008: Siltronic Samsung Wafer Pte. Ltd. Officially Opened in Singapore

In June 2008, Siltronic Samsung Wafer Pte. Ltd., a joint venture between Samsung and Siltronic, was officially opened in Singapore.

October 2008: Largest fall since 24 October 2008

Samsung shares on the KOSPI fell 7.7%, the largest fall since 24 October 2008, to 1,177,000 South Korean won.

2008: Samsung Solstice line launched

In 2008, the smartphone platform was developed with partners, officially launched with the original Samsung Solstice line of devices and other derivatives.

December 2009: Presidential Pardon for Lee Kun-hee

In December 2009, South Korean president Lee Myung-bak pardoned Lee Kun-hee, stating that the intent of the pardon was to allow Lee to remain on the International Olympic Committee.

2009: GE Samsung Lighting Broken Up in 2009

In 2009, GE Samsung Lighting, a joint venture, was broken up.

2009: Samsung's consolidated revenues in FY 2009

In FY 2009, Samsung reported consolidated revenues of 220 trillion KRW ($172.5 billion).

December 2010: Samsung Electronics Buys MEDISON Co.

In December 2010, Samsung Electronics bought MEDISON Co., a South Korean medical-equipment company, marking Samsung's entry into the medical equipment sector.

2010: Renault Samsung Ownership

As of 2010, Renault Samsung is 80.1 per cent owned by Renault and 19.9 per cent owned by Samsung.

2010: Samsung Heavy Industries is world's second-largest shipbuilder

By 2010 revenues, Samsung Heavy Industries was the world's second-largest shipbuilder.

2010: Publication of 'Thinking about Samsung'

In 2010, Kim Yong-chul published the book 'Thinking about Samsung', detailing accounts of Samsung's behavior and lobbying of governmental authorities.

2010: Ten-Year Growth Strategy Announced

In 2010, Samsung announced a ten-year growth strategy centered around five businesses, including biopharmaceuticals.

2010: Samsung Medical Center and Pfizer Collaboration in 2010

In 2010, the Samsung Medical Center and pharmaceutical multinational Pfizer agreed to collaborate on research to identify the genomic mechanisms responsible for clinical outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma.

2010: Samsung's consolidated revenues in FY 2010

In FY 2010, Samsung reported consolidated revenues of 280 trillion KRW ($258 billion), and profits of 30 trillion KRW ($27.6 billion).

March 2011: Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Financials as of March 2011

As of March 31 2011, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance had a total premium income of $11.7 billion and total assets of $28.81 billion.

March 2011: Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Operations as of March 2011

As of March 2011, Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance had operations in 10 countries and served 6.5 million customers.

April 2011: Samsung Group Structure in April 2011

As of April 2011, the Samsung Group comprised 59 unlisted companies and 19 listed companies, all of which had their primary listing on the Korea Exchange.

July 2011: Samsung Acquires Grandis Inc.

In July 2011, Samsung acquired spin-transfer torque random access memory (MRAM) vendor Grandis Inc. to enhance its R&D operations in memory technology.

August 2011: Exchange rate in August 2011

As of August 2011, the KRW-USD exchange rate of 1,084.5 KRW per USD.

October 2011: Fine for Price Cartel Involvement

In October 2011, Samsung companies were fined €145,727,000 for being part of a price cartel for DRAMs.

December 2011: Samsung Buys Sony's Stake in LCD Venture

In December 2011, Samsung Electronics' board approved buying Sony's entire stake in their joint liquid-crystal display (LCD) venture for 1.1 trillion won ($939 million).

December 2011: Samsung Life Insurance Financials as of December 2011

In December 2011, Samsung Life Insurance had total sales of 22,717 billion won and total assets of 161,072 billion won.

December 2011: Filming of footage of Lee Kun-hee

In December 2011, footage of Lee Kun-hee was filmed allegedly paying for sex acts.

December 2011: Samsung Acquired Sony Stake in S-LCD

On 26 December 2011, Samsung acquired Sony's stake in the S-LCD joint venture.

December 2011: Samsung Acquires Sony's Shares in S-LCD in December 2011

On December 26, 2011, Samsung Electronics announced that it would acquire all of Sony's shares in the S-LCD venture.

December 2011: Samsung Life Operations as of December 2011

As of December 2011, Samsung Life Insurance had operations in seven countries, served 8.08 million customers, and employed 5,975 employees.

2011: Samsung's Rank in Semiconductor Market in 2011

By 2011, Samsung was the world's second-largest semiconductor maker by revenues, after Intel.

2011: Samsung and MEMC Form Joint Venture for Polysilicon Plant

In 2011, MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. and an affiliate of Samsung formed a joint venture to build a polysilicon plant.

2011: Samsung Biologics Founded in 2011

In 2011, Samsung Biologics, a biopharmaceutical division of Samsung, was founded to provide contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services.

2011: Samsung Engineering's Revenue in 2011

In 2011, Samsung Engineering achieved total revenues of 9,298.2 billion won (US$8.06 billion).

2011: Samsung Heavy Industries' Revenue in 2011

In 2011, Samsung Heavy Industries achieved total revenues of 13,358.6 billion won.

May 2012: Samsung Acquires mSpot

In May 2012, Samsung Electronics acquired mSpot with the intention of creating a cloud-based music service.

August 2012: Samsung Ordered to Pay Apple $1.05 Billion

In August 2012, a jury ruled that Samsung Electronics had to pay Apple $1.05 billion for violating six of its patents.

December 2012: Samsung Acquires NVELO, Inc.

In December 2012, Samsung acquired the storage software vendor NVELO, Inc. to enhance its R&D operations for SSD storage subsystems.

December 2012: Concerns over Samsung's Influence

In December 2012, The Washington Post published an article titled "In South Korea, the Republic of Samsung", highlighting concerns that Samsung's influence was so great that it was "above the law". Critics also claimed that Samsung colluded with fellow giants to fix prices and bullied those who investigate.

December 2012: Samsung SDI Fined for Price Fixing in December 2012

On December 5, 2012, the European Union's antitrust regulator fined Samsung SDI and several other major companies for fixing prices of TV cathode-ray tubes in two cartels lasting nearly a decade.

2012: Investment in Austin Facility

As of 2012, Samsung has invested more than US$13 billion in the Austin facility.

2012: Cheil Worldwide is world's 15th-largest advertising agency

By 2012 revenues, Cheil Worldwide was the world's 15th-largest advertising agency.

2012: Complaints about Child Labor in Samsung's Supply Chain

From 2012 to 2015, Samsung was the subject of several complaints about child labor in its supply chain.

2012: Samsung SDS Revenue in 2012

In 2012, Samsung SDS achieved total revenues of 6,105.9 billion won (US$5.71 billion).

2012: Samsung Becomes World's Biggest Advertiser in 2012

In 2012, Samsung became the world's biggest advertiser, spending $4.3 billion.

2012: Largest Mobile Phone Maker

In the first quarter of 2012, Samsung Electronics became the world's largest mobile phone maker by unit sales, overtaking Nokia.

2012: Samsung World's Largest Mobile Phone Maker in 2012

In the first quarter of 2012, Samsung was the world's largest mobile phone maker by unit sales, holding a global market share of 25.4%.

January 2013: Samsung Acquires NeuroLogica

In January 2013, Samsung acquired the medical imaging company NeuroLogica to expand its medical technology business.

June 2013: Filming of footage of Lee Kun-hee

In June 2013, footage of Lee Kun-hee was filmed allegedly paying for sex acts.

2013: Samsung's Advertising and Marketing Spend in 2013

In 2013, Samsung Electronics spent an estimated $14 billion (U.S.) on advertising and marketing.

2013: Taiwan Investigates False Advertising

In 2013, the Fair Trade Commission of Taiwan investigated Samsung for false advertising due to allegations of hiring students to attack competitors online.

July 2014: China Labor Watch Criticizes Samsung Supplier HEG for Using Underage Workers

In July 2014, China Labor Watch (CLW) criticized one of Samsung's Chinese supplier factories, HEG, for allegedly using underage workers.

July 2014: Samsung Cuts Contract with Shinyang Electronics over Child Labor Violations

In July 2014, Samsung terminated its contract with Shinyang Electronics after discovering evidence of the company using underage workers.

August 2014: China Labor Watch Claims HEG Employed Underage Workers

In August 2014, CLW issued a statement claiming that HEG employed over ten children under the age of 16 at a factory in Huizhou, Guangdong.

August 2014: Samsung Acquires SmartThings and Quietside LLC

In August 2014, Samsung acquired SmartThings, a home automation startup, and Quietside LLC, a US air conditioner distributor, to strengthen its "smart home" business.

November 2014: Samsung Acquires Proximal Data

In November 2014, Samsung acquired Proximal Data, a server-side caching software company.

December 2014: Hanhwa Techwin Sale Announcement in December 2014

In December 2014, it was announced that Hanhwa Techwin would be sold to Hanwha Group.

2014: Growth of Vietnamese Suppliers in Samsung's Global Supply Chain (2014-2022)

From 2014 to 2022, the number of Vietnamese first- and second-tier suppliers in Samsung's global supply chain increased from 25 businesses to 257 businesses.

2014: Biogen Idec and Samsung Bioepis Partnership in 2014

In 2014, Biogen Idec agreed to commercialize future anti-TNF biosimilar products in Europe through Samsung Bioepis.

2014: Lee Kun-hee's Heart Attack and Coma

In 2014, Lee Kun-hee suffered a heart attack and lapsed into a coma.

2014: Samsung Unveils Sharp Sans Font

In 2014, Samsung unveiled its Samsung Sharp Sans font.

2014: Reopening of Price Fixing Investigation in Canada

In 2014, the Canadian government reopened the case regarding DRAM price fixing and investigated Samsung silently.

February 2015: Samsung Acquires LoopPay

In February 2015, Samsung acquired U.S.-based mobile payments firm LoopPay, allowing Samsung to enter the smartphone transaction market.

March 2015: Samsung Acquires YESCO Electronics

In March 2015, Samsung acquired YESCO Electronics, a U.S.-based manufacturer of LED displays.

June 2015: Hanhwa Techwin Take-Over Completion in June 2015

In June 2015, the take-over of Hanhwa Techwin by Hanwha Group was completed.

August 2015: SDI began using the "21700" cell format in August 2015

In August 2015, Samsung SDI began using the "21700" cell format

2015: Complaints about Child Labor in Samsung's Supply Chain

From 2012 to 2015, Samsung was the subject of several complaints about child labor in its supply chain.

2015: Samsung Discontinues Audio Logo

In 2015, Samsung discontinued its audio logo, which consisted of the notes E♭, A♭, D♭, E♭.

2015: Most U.S. Patents Granted

In 2015, Samsung received more U.S. patents than any other company, totaling 7,679 utility patents.

July 2016: Release of Video Allegedly Showing Lee Kun-hee Paying for Sex Acts

In July 2016, KCIJ-Newstapa released a video appearing to show Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee paying prostitutes for sex acts.

July 2016: Samsung Unveils SamsungOne Font

In July 2016, Samsung unveiled its SamsungOne font, a typeface designed to provide a consistent visual identity across Samsung products.

August 2016: Galaxy Note 7 Sales Launch

On 19 August 2016, the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone went on sale.

September 2016: Galaxy Note 7 Sales Suspended

In early September 2016, Samsung suspended sales of the Galaxy Note 7 and announced a recall due to battery defects.

October 2016: Samsung Acquires Viv

In October 2016, Samsung acquired Viv, an artificial intelligence company created by the developers of Apple's Siri.

October 2016: Worldwide Recall and Production Halt of Galaxy Note 7

In October 2016, Samsung recalled all Galaxy Note 7 smartphones worldwide and permanently ceased production due to continued battery issues.

November 2016: Samsung Canada Acquires Rich Communication Services

In November 2016, Samsung Canada acquired Rich Communication Services, a company working on a new technology for text messaging.

2016: Advertisements of Galaxy devices

During 2016, Samsung advertised its Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, A5, A7, S8, S8 Plus and Note 8 devices as able to survive short immersion in water.

2016: Funding of Pro-Government Demonstrations

In 2016, an investigative team announced that the Blue House received money from Samsung and other chaebols to fund pro-government demonstrations.

2016: Sale of Chemical Division to Lotte Corporation in 2016

In 2016, another chemical division of Samsung was sold to Lotte Corporation.

February 2017: Arrest of Lee Jae-yong

In February 2017, de facto Samsung leader Lee Jae-yong was arrested for bribery, embezzlement, hiding assets overseas and perjury.

2017: Samsung Electronics is world's largest IT company

By 2017 revenues, Samsung Electronics became the world's largest information technology company, consumer electronics maker and chipmaker.

April 2018: Sentencing of Former CJ CheilJedang Employee

On April 12, 2018, the Supreme Court of Korea sentenced a former employee of CJ CheilJedang to four years and six months in prison for blackmail and intimidation.

2018: Advertisements of Galaxy devices

During 2018, Samsung advertised its Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, A5, A7, S8, S8 Plus and Note 8 devices as able to survive short immersion in water.

2018: World's Largest Mobile Manufacturing Facility Inaugurated in India

In 2018, Samsung inaugurated the world's largest mobile manufacturing facility in Noida, India.

2018: Samsung Export Revenue Contribution to Vietnam (2018-2022)

In the period from 2018 to 2022, Samsung contributed over 306 billion USD in export revenue to Vietnam.

May 2020: Apology for union-busting scandals

In May 2020, Samsung vice chairman Lee Jae-yong apologized for the union-busting scandals.

2020: Death of Lee Kun-hee

In 2020, Lee Kun-hee died after being in a coma since suffering a heart attack in 2014.

2020: Accusations of Connection to Forced Uyghur Labor

In 2020, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute accused Samsung and other major brands of being connected to forced Uyghur labor in Xinjiang.

August 2021: Early Release of Lee Jae-yong

In August 2021, Lee Jae-yong was released early from prison after serving 10 months of his sentence as part of South Korea's tradition of clemency on Liberation Day.

August 2022: Presidential Pardon for Lee Jae-yong

In August 2022, Lee Jae-yong received a presidential pardon.

2022: Growth of Vietnamese Suppliers in Samsung's Global Supply Chain by the end of 2022

By the end of 2022, the number of Vietnamese first- and second-tier suppliers in Samsung's global supply chain increased to 257 businesses.

2022: Samsung's Export Revenue to Vietnam in 2022

In 2022 alone, Samsung's export revenue to Vietnam reached 65 billion USD.

2022: Fine for Misleading Water Resistance Claims

In 2022, Australia's competition and consumer commission fined Samsung AU$14 million for misleading water resistance claims about its smartphones.

2022: Samsung's Revenue as Percentage of South Korea's GDP

In 2022, Samsung's revenue was equal to 22.4% of South Korea's $1.67 trillion GDP, demonstrating Samsung's significant impact on the nation's economy.

2022: Top Two PCT Filled Patents Worldwide

Samsung has been the top two applicant for PCT filled patents in 2022 worldwide.

2023: Reduced Memory Chip Production Announced

In 2023, Samsung announced its decision to reduce the production of memory chips due to a projected decline in quarterly operating profit.

2023: Samsung's Industrial Design Applications

In 2023, Samsung submitted 544 industrial design applications.

2024: Fifth-highest brand value

As of 2024, Samsung has the world's fifth-highest brand value.

2024: WIPO Ranks Samsung #1 for Industrial Design Applications

In 2024, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) ranked Samsung's number of industrial design applications as 1st in the world.

History of Samsung in Timeline