Samsung chief back in Seoul after US visit to 'prepare next year's business'
Lee arrived at Incheon Airport shortly after midnight, telling reporters briefly that he was returning after 'preparing for next year's business' before leaving the airport, without elaborating further.
His trip began on July 29, when Lee departed to Washington to support South Korea's diplomatic efforts to secure a tariff deal with the US. Industry watchers say his two-week trip likely included high-level meetings with American tech giants to bolster cooperation and explore new business opportunities, as well as to assess the impact of US tariffs on Samsung's operations.
The visit came a day after Samsung signed a record $16.5 billion foundry contract with Tesla to produce the carmaker's next-generation artificial intelligence chip, known as AI6. Tesla CEO Elon Musk hinted that the total volume of the deal could expand, replying on social platform X that 'the 16.5 billion number is just the bare minimum,' with actual production likely to be several times higher.
During Lee's stay, Apple also announced that Samsung would manufacture chips for its flagship iPhone at the company's plant in Austin, Texas, a deal analysts believe Lee played a direct role in securing.
While in Washington, Korea clinched an agreement with the US on July 30 to cut tariffs on Korean goods from a threatened 25 percent to 15 percent, in exchange for Seoul's commitment to $350 billion in investments in the US. Sources said Lee leveraged Samsung's global network and semiconductor supply chain ties to support the negotiations.
The Samsung leader is scheduled to return to Washington later this month to join President Lee Jae Myung for his summit with US President Donald Trump on Aug. 25. Close attention is being paid to whether Samsung will announce additional investments during that trip.
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