Samsung

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Samsung (三星)
Alias(es)	Samsung Group; Samsung Electronics; Samsung Mobile
Affiliation	Samsung Group and its subsidiaries
Occupation/Role	Korean multinational conglomerate active in electronics, semiconductors, displays, communications, finance, machinery, chemicals, hotels, and commercial services 47 48
First Appearance	Chapter 44 — “Rubbing Apple and Samsung into the Ground” 44

Background / History

Samsung is portrayed as Korea’s dominant conglomerate, with influence extending across civilian and military industries. Its scale makes it deeply tied to the Korean economy; the narrative repeatedly describes Samsung as inescapable in Korean daily life and a major source of national pride. 47 308

Samsung Electronics is the group’s most visible division internationally. Before its conflict with Origin, it held more than 20% of the global smartphone market and led key sectors including displays, semiconductors, and memory. 47

Samsung’s development strategy is described as progressing from copying and imitation to catching up with technological leaders, then pursuing technological leadership. Its past success included overtaking Sony in consumer electronics and mobile phones through major investment in research, manufacturing, and industrial design. 48

Galaxy Note7 crisis

Samsung suffers a major reputational and financial setback after defects in the Galaxy Note7 battery design cause more than thirty explosions and fires worldwide. The design allowed the battery to shift after impacts, potentially rupturing its separator and causing a short circuit, fire, or explosion. 47

• Samsung initially blamed its SDI batteries and recalled overseas models while asserting that domestic models were safe. 47
• After replacement units using ATL batteries also exploded, Samsung halted sales, recalled all sold Note7 devices, and permanently ceased the model’s production and sale. 47
• The crisis cost Samsung 17 billion Citibank Currency and severely damaged consumer trust. 47

Industry Position

Sector	Position and relevance
Smartphones	Samsung’s Galaxy line is its most successful phone series; Samsung is described as the world’s largest phone manufacturer at the time, despite weak market share in China. 47
Displays	Samsung holds dominant shares of the small-sized and flexible OLED panel markets, at 93.3% and 94.2% respectively. 302
Semiconductors and memory	Semiconductors, flash memory, RAM, and display panels become Samsung’s most profitable and strategically important businesses. 298 302
Heavy industry	Samsung Heavy Industries operates the world’s largest shipyard and is a core asset in Samsung’s industrial base. 309
Overseas manufacturing	Samsung operates major production facilities in China and pursues expansion in India after withdrawing its Chinese factories. 299 300

Technologies & Products

Galaxy and Exynos products

Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones use Android, with the Galaxy S line serving as the company’s flagship series. 47

• Samsung later launches the Exynos1440, a 5nm processor that surpasses other mainstream processors at the time. 304
• Samsung signs a supply contract with Apple for 90 million chips and a two-year OLED-panel supply agreement after announcing the processor. 304
• Samsung claims to have independently developed the 5nm process, though the process had previously been debugged with Origin’s assistance. 303

Displays and memory

Samsung’s OLED panels and memory products underpin much of its profitability and market leverage. 298 302

• Its control of OLED supply allows it to dominate high-end flexible-panel production. 302
• Samsung raises global flash-memory and RAM prices after the Note7 discontinuation, preserving semiconductor profits despite its mobile division’s losses. 302
• Origin’s graphene screens and graphene memory later directly threaten Samsung’s display and memory businesses. 302 307

Semiconductor manufacturing

Samsung seeks Origin’s 5nm transistor technology because it has not fully mastered 7nm production while Origin is already mass-producing 5nm transistors. 49

• Origin authorizes Samsung to use its 5nm transistor-manufacturing equipment under a cooperation agreement. 49
• Samsung’s wafer-fabrication equipment is later remotely locked after it breaches its agreement with Origin, halting 5nm-chip production. 305 306
• Samsung engineers cannot decipher or unlock the encrypted control boards. 306

Relationship with Origin Company

• Origin Company — Initially a prospective technology partner after Samsung’s Note7 crisis exposes its technological disadvantage. Samsung’s analysis finds Origin Mobile superior in both software design and hardware manufacturing. 47
• Chu Feng — Origin’s CEO and Samsung’s principal negotiator, later its business rival and strategic partner. He dictates the original 5nm cooperation terms, retaliates against Samsung’s alleged contract breach, and ultimately works with Lee Yoon-jin to stabilize Samsung. 49 305 314
• Lee Jae-yong — Samsung’s third-generation leader and vice chairman. He personally leads Samsung’s delegation to Origin, seeking cooperation in electronics, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence. 47 48
• Lee Yoon-jin — Samsung’s president and later chairwoman after Lee Jae-yong’s legal troubles. She voids Samsung’s previous agreements with Origin, oversees Samsung’s attempted semiconductor resurgence, and later joins Chu Feng in purchasing Samsung stock during the crisis. 298 299 304 314
• Li Genji — Deputy general manager of Suzhou Samsung Electronics. He unsuccessfully proposes graphene-production cooperation with Origin. 139 140

Story Role / Major Arcs

Rival to Origin Mobile

Samsung is first positioned as one of the major smartphone manufacturers challenged by Origin Mobile. In a livestream comparison, Origin Mobile defeats Samsung’s phone in boot speed, display quality, camera performance, wireless charging, and color-changing back panel. 44 45

Samsung’s researchers dismantle Origin Mobile but cannot replicate its integrated display technology, CPU process, or color-changing back panel. 47 48

First cooperation with Origin

Facing the Note7 crisis and Origin Mobile’s success, Samsung abandons plans to seek a software upgrade in the United States and instead sends Lee Jae-yong to China to negotiate with Origin. 47

The resulting agreement gives Samsung access to Origin’s 5nm technology in exchange for Samsung’s adoption of the Origin System, Origin’s priority chip-purchase rights, and continued operation of Samsung processing plants in China. 49

Breakdown of cooperation

Samsung’s relationship with Origin deteriorates after Korea’s political turmoil and Lee Jae-yong’s legal troubles. Samsung becomes unable to support Origin during Korea’s antitrust investigation and later nullifies previous agreements with Origin. 229 299

Under Lee Yoon-jin, Samsung withdraws its factories from China, risking supply shortages for Chinese phone manufacturers and unemployment for tens of thousands of factory workers. Origin acquires the four factory districts and installs its own production lines. 299 300

Semiconductor conflict

Samsung announces its 5nm process, Exynos1440 processor, memory-price increases, and major supply agreements with Apple, causing its stock price to surge. 303 304

Origin responds by unveiling graphene chips, screens, and memory that outperform Samsung’s products at lower prices. Chu Feng accuses Samsung of violating its 5nm agreement, while Samsung’s fabrication equipment is locked and its stock is heavily shorted. 305 307

Samsung attempts to contain the collapse through a temporary trading suspension, claims that its semiconductor equipment is merely under maintenance, and executes its first 50:1 stock split. 308

Strategic partnership and heavy-industry transfer

As Samsung’s crisis escalates, Chu Feng demands Samsung Heavy Industries in exchange for assistance. Lee Yoon-jin initially refuses because of its importance to Samsung’s core business. 309

Chu Feng and Lee Yoon-jin later buy Samsung shares at their low point, Samsung’s equipment is unlocked, and Origin and Samsung jointly announce a strategic partnership. 314

Origin subsequently wins the bid for Samsung Heavy Industries’ two shipbuilding bases, expanding Origin’s heavy-industry capabilities. 316

Trivia

• Samsung’s original cooperation with Origin is driven partly by its recognition that Origin’s technology is too advanced to replicate independently. 47 48
• Samsung’s attempted graphene-production proposal is rejected because Origin already possesses its own graphene-production equipment and plans. 140
• Samsung’s stock crisis is severe enough that its production halt, Origin’s semiconductor launch, and short-selling pressure combine to erase billions from its market value. 307 308