Lee Ji-ho (24), the eldest son of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, will be formally commissioned as a Navy officer on the 28th.
At 2 p.m. that day, a completion and commissioning ceremony for the 139th class of Navy and Marine Corps officer candidates was held at the drill field of the Naval Academy in Jinhae-gu, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, presided over by Navy Chief of Staff Kang Dong-gil. Including Lee, 89 new officers will be commissioned, comprising 75 in the Navy (including 18 women) and 14 in the Marine Corps (including 3 women).
About 1,300 people, including the families of the commissionees and key commanders, attended the event. Chairman Lee, who did not attend the entrance ceremony on Sept. 15, adjusted his schedule to attend his son's commissioning.
Lee served as the representative of his class, leading the combined arms formation that day. Chairman Lee sat in the family section on the platform at the drill field alongside Director Hong and President Lee, watching as Lee took the oath on behalf of the class. Chairman Lee and Director Hong came down to the drill field and pinned the rank insignia on Lee themselves. With a salute, Chairman Lee encouraged Lee, who reported his commissioning, saying, "Good job."
Lee's mother, Daesang Group Vice Chairman Lim Se-ryeong, watched Lee's commissioning from a seat apart from Chairman Lee, alongside her sister, Daesang Vice President Lim Sang-min. This is the first time Chairman Lee and Vice Chairman Lim have appeared together in public since their divorce in 2009.
Lee entered service on Sept. 15 as a Republic of Korea Navy officer candidate. Born in the United States in 2000 and holding dual citizenship, Lee graduated from high school in Canada and entered Sciences Po in Paris, France. It is reported that Lee had most recently continued studies as an exchange student at a university in the United States.
After a four-day, three-night leave, Lee will return on the 2nd of next month to the Naval Education and Training Command to undergo three weeks of initial military training for new officers. After completing the initial military training, Lee will be assigned to a unit and serve as an interpreting officer.