Samsung executives dyeing hair black

S1 CEO Seo Jun-hee

Next time you meet a Samsung executive, be sure to take a closer look so you don’t mistake them for someone else.

Heeding Samsung Group leader Lee Kun-hee’s order to revitalize the conglomerate by making it more youthful, executives in their 40s and 50s are dyeing their hair black.

Before, they sported their natural white hair, a symbol of age and accompanying wisdom.

Now, a senior executive in its future strategy center, the revived brain of the conglomerate, has recently had his white hair dyed black, according to Yonhap News Agency. He had not dyed his hair for more than 10 years.

He is not alone as other executives in Samsung Electronics and Cheil, Samsung’s advertisement agency, have also followed suit and had their hair dyed.

Seo Jun-hee, CEO of S1 security firm, a Samsung affiliate, is leading the trend.

Seo advises his subordinates who have white hair to dye their hair.

When he recently asked a mid-level manager to dye his hair during an encounter in the elevator, the employee followed Seo’s order the following day.

One Samsung executive was quoted by Yonhap as saying, “I recently had my hair dyed. Those who are close to me say that I look like I’m in my 30s. I feel good about it.”

This trend in Samsung is closely related to the leader Lee’s observation that Samsung needs to have a young attitude to remain competitive, industry observers say.

An industry observer was quoted as saying, “Samsung is different from other conglomerates in terms of Chairman Lee’s influence on its rank-and-file members. With Chairman Lee’ son, Jae-yong in his early 40s, put forward as president, we can’t blame the executives for wanting to look younger.”

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