Samsung Elec appoints mobile chief as interim head of consumer and smartphone division

By Heekyong Yang and Hyunjoo Jin

SEOUL (Reuters) -Samsung Electronics appointed its mobile chief Roh Tae-moon as acting head of its consumer and smartphone business on Tuesday, following the death of his predecessor, Han Jong-Hee, a week ago.

Han had also served as the company's co-CEO. His death left newly appointed boss Jun Young-hyun solely in charge of the South Korean tech giant as it revamps its underperforming chip business and navigates rising competition and trade uncertainties.

"Nothing has been decided whether or not to keep the previous co-CEO structure at the moment," a spokesperson said, adding that the company's board would take a decision at a later date.

Roh, 56, has been in charge of Samsung's mobile business since 2020. In the face of slowing growth and growing competition, the company said in March that he had been "spearheading new smartphone markets" with AI phones and foldable phones.

Roh will oversee the so-called DX division, which includes the TV, home appliance and smartphone businesses.

"Samsung Electronics plans to minimize the leadership vacuum in the DX Division through this executive reshuffle," Samsung said in a statement.

Along with Roh's appointment, Samsung named the head of research and development for the mobile division, former Qualcomm executive Choi Won-joon, to a newly created chief operating officer role at the division.

It also picked Kim Cheol-gi, previously the head of DX division's marketing office, to lead the digital appliance business, which includes home appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines.

(Reporting by Heekyong Yang and Hyunjoo Jin; Additional reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Louise Heavens, Sonali Paul and Joe Bavier)