History of Samsung
Samsung was founded in 1938 by Lee Byung-chul in Su-dong, South Korea, initially as a trading company dealing in groceries, noodles, and other goods. In the following decades, Samsung diversified into insurance, retail, and securities, becoming one of South Korea’s largest conglomerates. In the 1960s and 1970s, the group began investing in manufacturing and construction as part of South Korea’s state-directed industrialisation drive.
Samsung Electronics, established in 1969, began producing televisions and consumer appliances before moving into semiconductor manufacturing in the 1980s. Investment in chip production proved significant; by the 1990s, Samsung had become a major supplier of memory chips and display panels to global electronics manufacturers. Its semiconductor division remains one of the world’s largest producers of DRAM and NAND flash memory.
Samsung launched its Galaxy smartphone line in 2009, positioning it as a direct competitor to Apple’s iPhone. The Galaxy series became one of the best-selling smartphone lines globally, and Samsung Electronics grew to account for a large portion of the group’s revenue. The company also expanded into televisions, home appliances, and enterprise IT equipment during this period.
Samsung Electronics maintains a commercial and research presence in Israel, operating an R&D centre in Tel Aviv focused on software and application development. The company has entered into acquisitions of Israeli technology firms and maintains distribution operations serving the Israeli market. These activities have led Samsung to feature on BDS boycott lists, particularly following the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from October 2023 onwards.