Samsung chief gets birthday surprise in Hanoi

Samsung Electronics Co. Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee, left, receives a surprise birthday celebration in Hanoi, Vietnam, on June 23 (local). [Photo by Yonhap]

South Korea’s tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee accompanied President Yoon Suk Yeol on his state visit to Vietnam from June 22 to 24, where he received a surprise birthday celebration in Hanoi on June 23 as it coincided with his 55th birthday.

It was reported that during dinner, upon learning of Lee’s birthday, the Vietnamese side prepared a cake and played congratulatory music on the spot. Yoon, first lady Kim Keon Hee, Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong, and his wife Phan Thị Thanh Tâm were among those who congratulated him.

Lee left for Paris, France, on June 18 and joined forces to promote South Korea’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan when Yoon gave a presentation in English to support the bid at the 172nd general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the international body in charge of overseeing the World Expo. Afterward, he attended an official reception hosted by Yoon, where the president invited ambassadors from 179 BIE member countries. Lee also met with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss issues such as semiconductor and battery businesses.

“It was a meaningful visit. Thank you.”

Lee told reporters when he arrived at Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center on Saturday after accompanying Yoon on his visits to France and Vietnam as part of a business delegation. He made the remarks in response to a question about how he felt about the trip. Roh Tae-moon, president and head of the Mobile eXperience (MX) division at Samsung Electronics, who returned home with Lee, left the airport without saying much.