![On the 17th, the Samsung Electronics shareholders' meeting was held at the Suwon Convention Center, with more than 900 people, more than twice that of last year. There is a long line for admission to the state president. [사진 출처 = 연합뉴스]](https://i0.wp.com/file.mk.co.kr/meet/neds/2021/03/image_readtop_2021_255882_16159902844577024.jpg?w=560&ssl=1)
On the 17th, the Samsung Electronics shareholders’ meeting was held at the Suwon Convention Center, with more than 900 people, more than twice that of last year. There is a long line for admission to the state president. [사진 출처 = 연합뉴스] Samsung Electronics’ regular shareholders’ meeting was held with 900 shareholders attending. About 400 people attended last year, but this year, even though the aftermath of Corona 19 remains, more than twice as many gathered, and it was held in the heat of the heat. The number of attendees like this is close to the record of 1,000 in 2019, the largest ever. On the 17th, Samsung Electronics held the 52nd regular shareholders’ meeting at the Suwon Convention Center in Gyeonggi-do. Samsung Electronics, which has 2.96 million shareholders including preferred stock holders, has been holding an event at the Suwon Convention Center, which is wider than the Seocho office building in Seoul, which was the existing shareholders’ meeting place since last year.
It was noticeable that this year’s shareholders’ meeting provided an electronic voting terminal to attending shareholders so that they could vote on all agendas instead of’passing applause’.
In listed companies, the passing of applause is common because the actual voting on agenda is carried out by voting in advance and the exercise of voting rights through a power of attorney. I made it.
It also features an online relay system and pre-online questioning. Executives of Samsung Electronics, including Vice Chairman Kim Ki-nam, answered not only the shareholders who attended the meeting, but also the shareholders’ questions posted on the online bulletin board. Samsung Electronics placed only 1,200 seats in a space with an area of 7,000 or more for quarantine. In addition, three temporary clinics were installed in the state president, and 10 medical staff, including doctors and nurses, were put in to prepare for emergencies. The Suwon Convention Center, where the shareholders’ meeting was held, conducted daily quarantine from two weeks ago.
At the shareholders’ meeting on this day, there was a war between shareholders over the future position of Samsung Electronics’ vice chairman Lee Jae-yong, who was sentenced to imprisonment in June 2 years in prison.
One shareholder, who declared himself a member of the Participation Solidarity, demanded the dismissal of Lee, saying, “After Lee was sentenced to jail, he still maintains the position of vice chairman of Samsung Electronics.” To this request, Vice Chairman Kim replied, “We will consider the role of Vice Chairman Lee, including global network and future business decisions, and comprehensively review the company situation and legal regulations.”
Among the general shareholders, there were many voices against civic groups claiming that’the role of Vice Chairman Lee is essential for the company’s development’. One shareholder insisted, “Vice-Chairman Lee and other executives have raised Samsung Electronics as a world-renowned company. No matter what anyone says, the current executives should remain the same.” I was applauded for saying, “I’m going to vomit my resentment.”
Regarding the controversy over Lee’s employment restrictions, some shareholders expressed the opinion that it would be inappropriate for the Compliance Committee to discuss Lee’s appointment. One shareholder said, “The Compliance Committee is nothing more than an independent external monitoring body,” and said, “We cannot decide (employment restrictions) by overtaking the law.”
‘Awl questions’ also poured out. One shareholder asked vice chairman Kim, “There are reports that Samsung Electronics is far behind in the global market in the case of the foundry field. When can we catch up with Taiwan’s TSMC, the number one in the world?” Vice Chairman Kim said, “It is true that Samsung Electronics foundry lacks market share, capacity to enable economies of scale, and the number of customers compared to leading companies.” “I will close the gap through” he replied.
On this day, an 8-year-old child attended the shareholders’ meeting and drew attention. The protagonist is Lee Do-yoon, a 2nd year student at Myeongseon Elementary School in Incheon. Lee Kun, who attended with his mother Park Hyo-jin’s hand, is a minority shareholder who bought two shares of Samsung Electronics last year.
A year ago, Lee bought Samsung Electronics’ stock two times, one week. Park explained that when Lee asked,’Would you like to become the owner of the company?’ Park said, “At the beginning of this year, the yield reached 70%.”
According to the Korea Securities Depository, as of the end of last year, 2,15,408,1 common shareholders eligible to attend the general shareholders’ meeting were 2,95,8682, including preferred stock holders. The total number of shareholders and the number of common stocks of Samsung Electronics increased to five and four times, respectively, compared to the end of 2019, before the Donghak Ant Movement.
[노현 기자 / 박재영 기자]
[ⓒ 매일경제 & mk.co.kr, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]