Samsung Electronics' headquarters in Seoul / Korea Times file

By Kim Hyun-bin

Samsung Electronics celebrated its 53rd anniversary discreetly on Tuesday, out of consideration of the national mourning period called for by the government over the Itaewon crowd crush on Saturday that left at least 156 people dead.

The company announced that it held a ceremony to celebrate the 53rd anniversary of its founding in Suwon Digital City, Gyeonggi Province, in the presence of executives, including Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee and DS Division Head Kyung Kye-hyun.

"The more difficult the times, the more real skills are shown." Han said in a commemorative speech. "Based on Samsung Electronics' strength and will to take on challenges, let's make history by transforming ourselves once more."

The vice chairman emphasized the need for new growth by taking on limitless challenges and pursuing innovations, redefining core competitiveness with a focus on customers, actively practicing sustainable management, and changing the way Samsung communicates and works.

"Let's expand our growth momentum by creating new business opportunities that will change future lifestyles in new areas of opportunity such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), IoT (the Internet of Things), robots and the metaverse," Han added. "Let's contribute to creating a sustainable future society by strengthening eco-friendly technological innovation based on a long-term perspective."

Samsung Electronics was launched on January 13, 1969 under the name of Samsung Electronics Industries. But after merging with Samsung Semiconductor & Communications in November 1988, the founding anniversary was changed to November 1.

It is the first anniversary since Chairman Lee Jae-yong's inauguration, but he did not appear at the event. Lee has not attended the company's establishment ceremonies and only appeared via video message in 2019, which marked the 50th anniversary of the company's founding.

"Let's create a 100-year company that will be passed on to future generations through challenge, technology and coexistence'," Lee said in the video message that year.

Samsung Electronics canceled plans to celebrate the event and held a scaled down ceremony to mourn the victims of the Itaewon disaster.

The two CEOs posted condolence messages on the company's bulletin board the day before, saying, "I would like to express my deepest condolences to all those who have lost their precious family members and acquaintances."

Meanwhile, Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Samsung Display, which have the same founding anniversaries as Samsung Electronics, also decided to tone down the celebrations of their 49th and 10th anniversaries, respectively.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics, which was launched in March 1973, celebrated the date of its first shipment as its founding anniversary on November 1.