Lee Bengol ( cor. 이병철 ; February 12, 1910 - November 19, 1987 ) is the founder of the Samsung Group and one of the most successful businessmen in the Republic of Korea . His pseudonym is Hoam ( cor. 호암 ). Following the collapse of Hyundai , Samsung is the largest business group in Korea .
| Lee Bunchol | |
|---|---|
| 이병철 | |
| Date of Birth | February 12, 1910 |
| Place of Birth | Iyren |
| Date of death | November 19, 1987 (aged 77) |
| Place of death | Seoul |
| Citizenship |  The Republic of Korea |
| Occupation | Industrialist |
| Spouse | Pak Tuyl |
| Children | Lee Inhi, Lee Manhi, Lee Changhee, Lee Gonghi , Lee Myonghi |
Initially, Lee Bunchol was not too successful, he created his own business on March 1, 1938, which was named Samsung Trading Co, this is the predecessor of Samsung. Samsung means "three stars" that explain the initial corporate logo.
By 1945, Samsung was transporting goods throughout Korea and other countries. The company was founded in Seoul in 1947. It was one of the ten largest trading companies during the outbreak of the 1950 Korean War. With the conquest in Seoul by the North Korean army, Lee was forced to relocate his business to Busan. The massive influx of US troops and equipment into Busan over the course of the next year in half the war proved to be very beneficial for Lee's transportation company.
In 1961, when Pak Jonghi seized power, Lee Bengchol was in Japan, and for some time he spent outside the Republic of Korea. In the end, an agreement was reached and Lee Benchol returned, but Samsung had to give up control of the acquired banks and follow economic directives from the government.
In 1953, he founded the “Cheiljedang (Cheil Chedan)” (now “CJ Cheiljedang”), which became very successful and profitable. Using the proceeds from Cheiljedang, Lee Bengol founded many other companies that manufacture and sell products for diverse markets such as textiles (Cheil Wool Textile Co.), automobiles, insurance, department stores ( Sinsege ) and consumer electronics.
Later in life, the founder of "Samsung" served as chairman of the Federation of Korean Industry and was known as the richest person in Korea .
After the death of his property, “Hoam” was open to the public and excursions. A collection of Korean art, owned by Lee Bengchol, is considered one of the largest and best private collections in the country, and has a number of art objects that have been designated "National Treasures" by the Korean government. Hoam is a short distance from Everland Park , the most popular amusement park in the Republic of Korea (Everland also belongs to the Samsung Group ).