Samsung

Samsung Group (Hangul: 삼성; Hanja: 三星; Korean pronunciation: [sʰamsʰʌŋ]) is a South Korean multinational conglomerateheadquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul.^[1] It comprises numerous affiliated businesses,^[1] most of them united under theSamsung brand, and is the largest South Korean chaebol (business conglomerate).

Samsung was founded by Lee Byung-chul in 1938 as a trading company. Over the next three decades, the group diversified into areas including food processing, textiles, insurance, securities and retail. Samsung entered the electronics industry in the late 1960s and the construction and shipbuilding industries in the mid-1970s; these areas would drive its subsequent growth. Following Lee's death in 1987, Samsung was separated into four business groups – Samsung Group, ShinsegaeGroup, CJ Group and Hansol Group. Since 1990, Samsung has increasingly globalised its activities and electronics; in particular, its mobile phones and semiconductors have become its most important source of income.

Notable Samsung industrial affiliates include Samsung Electronics (the world's 2nd largest information technology companymeasured by 2015 revenues, and 5th in market value),^[4] Samsung Heavy Industries (the world's 2nd largest shipbuildermeasured by 2010 revenues),^[5] and Samsung Engineering and Samsung C&T (respectively the world's 13th and 36th largest construction companies).^[6] Other notable subsidiaries include Samsung Life Insurance (the world's 14th largest life insurance company),^[7] Samsung Everland (operator of Everland