Samsung Electronics adds 2 new independent directors to its board

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee presides over a shareholder meeting on Thursday in Yongin, Gyeonggi. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Samsung Electronics added two new independent directors to its board during a shareholder meeting on Thursday after the shareholders approved the appointments.

The new directors are Yoo Myung-hee, a former trade minister, and Heo Eun-nyeong, a professor of energy resources engineering at Seoul National University.

In June 2020, Yoo was nominated to run for the director-general of the World Trade Organization but eventually withdrew her bid for the top job in February 2021.

As an energy expert, Heo served as vice president of the International Association for Energy Economics.

The appointments are widely seen as part of Samsung's effort to deal with complicated trade and geopolitical issues such as tech and trade rivalry between Washington and Beijing and tricky regulations like the Inflation Reduction Act.

Samsung Electronics has currently six outside directors and five inside directors.

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee said the company will work to enhance independence and expertise of its board members in order to serve shareholders' best interests and build a better company.

The general meeting, held at Samsung Electronics Leadership Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi, began with a moment of silence for the victims who died in the deadly crowd crush in Seoul's popular nightlight district of Itaewon.

BY PARK EUN-JEE, YONHAP [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]