In a major leadership reshuffle, Samsung Electronics has appointed Ko Han-sung, the CEO of Samsung Bioepis and the longest-serving CEO within Samsung Group, to head its future business planning unit.
The appointment, announced during the company's 2025 executive reshuffle on Wednesday, marks a strategic shift as Ko brings his extensive biotech expertise to the group's future business development initiatives.
Ko, who steered Samsung Bioepis for 13 years, becomes the third chief of Samsung's future planning division, following the footsteps of former Samsung SDI Vice Chairman Jun Young-hyun and Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions Division President Kyung Kye-hyun.
Notably, Ko’s appointment garners attention as he brings a pure biotechnology background to a position previously held by electronics industry veterans.
Ko, who holds a Ph.D. in genetic engineering from Northwestern University and a degree in biochemistry from UC Berkeley, started his journey with Samsung in 2000 as a biotechnology advisor at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology.
His leadership at Samsung Bioepis has been marked by remarkable success, with the company posting cumulative sales of 1.14 trillion won ($816.6 million) in just three quarters this year.
Industry observers are keenly watching whether this appointment signals an expanded role for biotechnology in Samsung's future business strategy.
Meanwhile, Ko's influence also extended beyond Samsung.
In January 2023, he was reappointed as the eighth chairman of the KoreaBIO, a bioindustry organization encompassing over 600 pharmaceuticals, medical devices, environmental technology, and biotechnology, for another two years.
His appointment followed a successful seventh term during which the association saw a 34 percent increase in regular membership.
Regarding an inquiry from Korea Biomedical Review, a KoreaBIO official explained that Ko's position within the association will not change.
“The chairman's new role at Samsung Electronics' Future Business Planning Division will continue to encompass biotech initiatives,” a KoreaBIO official said. “As a result, Ko will maintain his current role within the association”.