What has Samsung CEO to say at Las Vegas tech show?

Chairman Lee Kun-hee to be accompanied by his children and top aides

By Kim Yoo-chul

When Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee participates in the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next week, he will draw keen attention from the global technology community.

The company is enjoying record profits for successive quarters and its patent dispute with Apple is no longer in the latter’s favor.

It is also marketing one new product after another.

All told, Lee is in a position to speak about new rules in the industry.

“I will fly to Las Vegas with my children. l will share problems and concerns with my executives,’’ Lee told reporters last week. His top executives will accompany him.

Although Samsung officially denies it, sources and analysts expect Lee will disclose “future plans” that may affect the industry’s current paradigms.

In the chairman’s entourage will be his only son and heir-apparent Lee Jay-yong, Samsung Electronics’s chief operating officer, and two daughters, Hotel Shilla President Lee Boo-jin and Lee Seo-hyun, executive vice president of Cheil Industries.

The senior Lee also referred to a change in Samsung’s status but without elaboration, as usual.

He, however, said that he will address the firm’s future plans. Lee missed last year’s show but attended the annual event in 2010.

Speaking to the media, he emphasized the product side of the strategy. It comes at a time when Apple is apparently not ready to unveil its new iPhone.

Lee is known to be a detail artist when it comes to products. He presides over annual quality meetings comparing mobiles, TVs and home appliances to those of key rivals.

However, it remains to be seen whether he will reveal more in terms of new products and strategy than company officials are saying.

They say the company will release this year’s strategic devices on Jan. 9, the first day of CES, at its press conference at the Venetian Hotel at 2 p.m.

Samsung’s public relations office is still not releasing details about what will be on display.

``You should come to the press conference and then you will see,’’ said one official.

The technology giant is widely expected to display televisions with ultra-thin OLED screens, according to industry analysts.

Google has confirmed that Samsung will release the ``Google TV’’ _ a television powered by the American software firm’s Android operating system at CES.

Understandably, top Samsung executives will also present themselves at the exhibition with their chief executive Choi Gee-sung scheduled to have a dinner meeting with local and foreign media at the Las Vegas Country Club from 6.30 p.m. on Jan. 9.

Attention is being focused whether Choi will remark on pending issues such as this year’s investment plan, mergers and acquisitions and the ongoing legal tussle with Apple during the two-hour session.

Choi is well-known for presenting clear guidelines if asked the right questions. At last year’s IFA, the biggest technology fair in Europe, the CEO strongly denied rumors that Samsung would buy Hewlett-Packard’s WebOS system and stressed his company is embracing the ongoing fight with Apple as ``destiny’’ before becoming the global leader.

He is not the only vice chairman to attend the show. Kwon Oh-hyun, newly-promoted to vice chairman at Samsung Electronics, is also scheduled to meet with component partners, according to company officials.

Kwon is currently handling chip- and LED-related and flat screen businesses. He has so far maintained a short- and-brief answering style.

A Samsung spokesman said Kwon doesn’t have a separate plan to meet with the press during the show but will answer queries when necessary. The firm supplies its chips and flat screens to Apple, Sony, Dell, Hewlett-Packard as well as Taiwanese and European consumer electronic players.

With the two vice chairmen, Samsung’s television chief Yoon Boo-keun will definitely meet the South Korean and overseas media. He will have a lunch meeting at a Korean restaurant near the Las Vegas Convention Center from 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 11.

Yoon is known as ``Mr. Television.’’ He is the top confidant of Choi, charismatic and aggressive in discussions over current issues.

During the lunch meeting, Yoon will unveil Samsung’s new television business strategies including its business partnership with Google.

But Yoon, recently named as the head of the company's home appliances business, will spend most of his time dealing with his new responsibilities.

Shin Jong-kyun, president of Samsung’s handset division, will also be at CES. This division has emerged as the earnings propeller, helping the company secure its bottom line when traditionally-strong businesses of televisions, chips and flat-screens were struggling due to a debt crisis in the eurozone and slow consumer electronics demand in the United States.

``Shin will talk with a stronger tone,’’ said a company official.

Samsung sold more than 100 million handsets in the fourth quarter of last year alone, a milestone even for the Korean firm.

Its officials said the company sold over 30 million smartphones during the last quarter, sending the total to over 100 million smartphones since 2010.

Park Sang-jin, Samsung SDI chief executive and Cho Soo-in, Samsung Mobile Display chief executive will also be at CES.