Han, who was 63, was responsible for the consumer electronics and mobile sides of the business—both of which have seen better days. His passing leaves Jun, a freshly minted chip boss, juggling both ends of the flaming torch that is Samsung Electronics.

Han Jong-hee helped turn Samsung from just another Asian gadget-maker into the global consumer electronics behemoth. He joined the company in 1988, when VHS tapes still ruled the earth, and managed to hang on long enough to become co-CEO—just in time to preside over Samsung’s recent slow-motion tech implosion.

By 2006, Han had muscled Samsung to the top of the global TV pile. In 2022, he was promoted to vice chairman and co-CEO, charged with overseeing Samsung’s consumer electronics and mobile divisions.

His death comes at a truly inconvenient time, as Samsung’s chip division is currently lagging behind SK Hynix and TSMC in the AI arms race.

Han’s legacy may be the slick marketing and TV domination that made Samsung a household name. But in the current tech bloodbath, he exits stage left as the company stumbles through a leadership reshuffle, global trade tantrums, and a future filled with AI-fuelled existential dread.

Wall Street's cocaine nose jobs didn’t blink—Samsung shares only dipped a half per cent, in line with the broader Korean market. Investors appear to think that one CEO is cheaper than two, especially when neither can stop Samsung from facing a setback in AI chips or fend off the Fruity Cargo Cult Apple in smartphones.

Last week, Han admitted 2025 was shaping up to be a dumpster fire, blaming everything from Donald [hamburger-eating surrender monkey] Trump’s trade tariffs to the company's utter failure to cash in on the AI gold rush.

"First and foremost, I sincerely apologise for the recent stock performance not meeting your expectations,” Han told shareholders.