September 11, 2025 – According to South Korean media outlet Chosun, Lee Jee – ho, the son of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae – yong, is set to renounce his U.S. citizenship and fulfill his military service obligations in South Korea.
Lee Jee – ho is scheduled to enlist as a naval officer candidate in the 139th batch on September 15. Samsung Electronics stated, “Mr. Lee Jee – ho has given up his U.S. citizenship to meet his military service duties. He plans to serve for 39 months, including the training period. After 11 weeks of training, he will be commissioned as a naval ensign on December 1.”
Born in the United States in 2000, Lee Jee – ho previously held dual citizenship of South Korea and the U.S. He completed his high school education in Canada and then enrolled in a university in France. During his university years, he went to the U.S. as an exchange student.
The decision by Lee Jee – ho has drawn significant attention because it is extremely rare for members of the Samsung family to serve in the military. A business insider commented, “Many people with dual citizenship can be exempt from military service or choose to serve as soldiers, which means a shorter service period compared to that of officers. Lee Jee – ho has chosen the officer path, and his service time will be more than twice that of soldiers.”
It should be noted that Lee Jae – yong has previously indicated that he “has no intention of passing on the company’s management control to his children.”
