Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong has audience with Pope Francis in Vatican

The Samsung Electronics executive chairman met with Pope Francis in the Vatican during his recent business trip to Europe.

Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong arrives in Korea through Gimpo International Airport on Friday. [YONHAP]

Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong met with Pope Francis during his recent business trip to Europe, marking his first encounter with the pontiff.

The meeting last Saturday was reportedly mediated by Korean Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik.

Photos of Lee and the pope were uploaded on Getty Images, a visual content platform, with the two shaking hands and exchanging gifts as the cardinal stood in the back.

Davide Corte, head of the IT division at Samsung Electronics Italia and Nam Seok-woo, president at Samsung Electronics, also attended the audience.

Lee returned to Korea on Friday morning, where he said "spring has come" to reporters waiting for him at the airport in Gimpo. He didn't elaborate further on questions related to business.

Lee embarked on a trip to Germany last month where he met with CEO Karl Lamprecht of German chip equipment components company Zeiss on April 26 and announced an expansion in the two companies' partnership. Zeiss agreed to commit 48 billion won ($35 million) to investments in Korea by 2026 to build a local R&D center.

The German company is a supplier of some 30,000 components for ASML's EUV, advanced chip manufacturing equipment, of which Samsung is a client.

The executive chairman then moved to Italy to meet with the pope before visiting Paris, France to meet with local staff.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]