Samsung Electronics chair's son commissioned as Navy officer

Lee Jee-ho, left, salutes his father, Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, second from right, and his grandmother, Hong Ra-hee, right, honorary director of the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art, during a commissioning ceremony at the Naval Academy in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Friday. Lee was commissioned as a Navy officer after completing 11 weeks of training. Born in the United States in 2000, Lee Jee-ho renounced his U.S. citizenship to fulfill his military duty as an officer. Yonhap

The son of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong was commissioned as a Navy officer Friday after completing 11 weeks of training as an officer candidate.

Lee Jee-ho, 24, is among 89 new Navy and Marine Corps officers officially commissioned in a ceremony at the Naval Academy in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province.

The ceremony was attended by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kang Dong-gil and families of the newly appointed officers, including the Samsung chairman.

The Samsung chief missed his son's training commencement ceremony in September but attended the commissioning ceremony to personally attach an ensign's rank insignia to him.

Lee Jee-ho, who was born in the United States in 2000, renounced his U.S. citizenship to carry out his military duty as an officer.

At the commissioning ceremony, he led the cadets as a representative of the class, Navy officials said, adding he got along well with his fellow cadets during training and actively participated. They said Lee will serve as an interpreter officer.