As the race to build artificial intelligence processors heats up, Samsung Electronics has replaced the leader of its semiconductor division.
In an unexpected announcement made by the business on Tuesday, Vice Chairman Jun Young-hyun has been named head of Samsung’s device solutions division. The company’s foundry, memory, and system semiconductor divisions are managed under the device solutions division.
“Vice Chairman Jun Young-hyun is the key player who took Samsung Electronics’ memory semiconductor and battery businesses to the global top-tier level,” the company stated in a news release.
Samsung is making this announcement as it battles to overtake its regional rival SK Hynix in the market for AI memory chips. When it comes to high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, which are essential for AI computing, SK Hynix is in the lead.
According to Samsung, if the board and shareholders approve, Jun may also be named as the company’s chief executive. Samsung has two chief executive officers: one leads the company’s semiconductor division, while the other oversees its mobile and visual display businesses.
Before taking on the role of chief executive of Samsung SDI, the company’s battery division, Jun led Samsung’s memory chip business team for three years, from 2014 to 2017. In 2000, he made his debut as a member of Samsung’s memory chip business team.
Kyung Kye-hyun, who oversaw the semiconductor branch since2022, is replaced by Jun. During the memory chip market collapse, the division under his direction reported billion-dollar losses. The 61-year-old Kyung has been posting lengthy and in-depth posts on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram about subjects including technology and climate change.