'I thought it was Lee Kun-hee': Lee Jae-yong stuns online with glasses-free look

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong delivers a welcoming address at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Chungcheong Region Mega Project at Samsung Electronics' Onyang Campus in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, on Thursday. [YouTube KTV capture]

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is drawing attention online for his striking resemblance to his late father, former Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee. After photos emerged of Lee appearing at an official event without his usual glasses, comments flooded social media saying he looked as though Lee Kun-hee had come back to life.

Lee attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Chungcheong Region Mega Project at Samsung Electronics' Onyang Campus in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, on Thursday — the first of three major mega projects the government is pursuing.

Lee was at President Lee Jae Myung's side from the moment the president arrived and remained seated next to him throughout the event. In his welcoming address, Lee said he was "convinced that if the central and local governments and businesses join forces under the president's leadership, we can lay the groundwork for a great national leap forward," adding, "We will take on an even greater sense of responsibility."

President Lee applauded as he listened to the welcoming address and publicly mentioned the Samsung chairman by name in his own congratulatory remarks.

President Lee Jae Myung and Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong watch a promotional video showing the progress of the Chungcheong Region Mega Project at the groundbreaking ceremony held at Samsung Electronics' Onyang Campus construction site in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, on Thursday. [Yonhap]

What captured even more attention online after the event, however, was Lee's appearance. Photos showing him without his customary glasses prompted a wave of comments comparing him to his late father.

Observers particularly noted his rounder, fuller facial contours and the shape of his eyebrows. His once-sharp jawline has softened into a more rounded form, and his previously straight brows now arch upward — features many said closely mirror those of Lee Kun-hee.

Online reactions poured in saying the chairman had become a carbon copy of his father. A post suggesting the two men's faces had essentially swapped drew nearly 5,000 likes and around 200 comments. Some users posted side-by-side photos of Lee from his younger years, remarking that he now looks less like his former self than he does his father.

Late former Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee and Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong [Yonhap]

Lee, born in 1968, turned 58 this year. Some observers suggest that as he has aged, his facial features and overall appearance have naturally converged with those of his father.

A few online commenters joked that he might have undergone laser eye surgery, though Lee was spotted wearing his glasses again at a luncheon held after the groundbreaking ceremony.

President Lee Jae Myung and Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong have lunch together in the cafeteria at Samsung Electronics' Onyang Campus in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, following the Chungcheong Region Mega Project groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday. [Cheong Wa Dae]

President Lee Jae Myung expresses gratitude after Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong picks up the lunch bill at the cafeteria of Samsung Electronics' Onyang Campus in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, following the Chungcheong Region Mega Project groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday. [Cheong Wa Dae]

Samsung Group plans to develop the Chungcheong region into a hub for advanced industries through the three mega projects. The combined investment pledged by four Samsung affiliates — Samsung Electronics, Samsung Display, Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Samsung SDI — totals 144 trillion won ($108 billion).

Samsung Electronics will invest 60 trillion won in the Chungcheong region, including in Onyang Campus Line 5. Samsung Display will pour 67 trillion won into facilities in Asan and Cheonan to build production bases for next-generation smartphone displays and ultra-high-resolution micro displays.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics will invest 8 trillion won at its Sejong plant to expand production capacity for advanced AI semiconductor package substrates. Samsung SDI plans to spend 9 trillion won at its Cheonan plant to establish a "mother factory" for developing core battery technology.

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and CEO Jeon Young-hyun said at the event that "since the mega project announcement, active administrative support from the central and local governments has allowed all construction to proceed rapidly," adding that the company would "push ahead without delay on the Honam and Yeongnam mega projects as well as the Greater Seoul semiconductor cluster."

Lee also said the company would "take on an even greater sense of responsibility and actively advance the Chungcheong, Honam and Yeongnam mega projects to write an irreplaceable success story for South Korea."

bbo@heraldcorp.com