Which country has Samsung?

Samsung is a major global technology company based in South Korea. While it has operations around the world, Samsung’s headquarters and the majority of its manufacturing facilities are located in South Korea.

Quick Answer

The country that Samsung originates from and where it is headquartered is South Korea. Samsung’s global headquarters is located in Samsung Town, Seoul.

Samsung is one of the most recognizable brands in technology and consumer electronics. As a global leader in smartphones, televisions, semiconductors and other key technologies, Samsung’s reach extends far beyond its home country of South Korea.

But South Korea is where Samsung was founded over 80 years ago and where it maintains its corporate headquarters today. Understanding the origins and home base of Samsung provides helpful context on how the company became such a major force in the tech industry.

Founding of Samsung in South Korea

Samsung was founded as a small trading company in 1938 by Lee Byung-chull in Taegu, South Korea. The company’s original name was Samsung Sanghoe and it focused mainly on exports, trading goods throughout East Asia.

In 1947, Lee expanded into sugar refining and textile manufacturing industries. The company grew over the next decade into areas like insurance, retail and securities trading. In 1969, Samsung entered the electronics industry with the formation of Samsung Electronics. Throughout the 1970s, Samsung Electronics focused on producing black-and-white TVs, refrigerators, washing machines and other home appliances.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Samsung expanded aggressively into new technologies like color TVs, semiconductors and mobile phones. By the early 1990s, Samsung had grown from a small trading company into an international conglomerate comprised of dozens of affiliates and subsidiaries. However, South Korea remained central to all of Samsung’s operations over this period of rapid growth.

Samsung Headquarters and Key Facilities in South Korea

Samsung is headquartered in Samsung Town in southern Seoul, South Korea. Samsung Town is a business district developed and owned by Samsung to serve as the central hub for its operations. The headquarters campus features office towers and R&D centers along with residences, hotels, a hospital, parks, shopping centers and more.

In addition to the Seoul headquarters, Samsung has extensive manufacturing operations throughout South Korea. Some of Samsung’s largest facilities include:

• Samsung Electronics Giheung – Located in Giheung, this plant is Samsung’s primary manufacturing site for semiconductors and other components.
• Samsung Electronics Suwon – The Suwon complex houses production for phones, home appliances and other consumer devices.
• Samsung Electronics Gumi – The Gumi plant manufactures high-tech electronics like mobile displays.
• Samsung Electronics Tangjeong – Specializing in producing appliances like refrigerators, air conditioners and washing machines.

This heavy concentration of R&D centers and manufacturing in South Korea underscores how integral the country remains to Samsung’s global operations. While Samsung has diversified its facilities worldwide, South Korea is still central to producing the technology Samsung is known for.

Samsung’s South Korean Workforce

Not only are Samsung’s physical facilities centered in South Korea, but much of its workforce is located there as well. Samsung employs around 320,000 people worldwide. About 110,000 of those employees, over a third, are located in South Korea.

Samsung heavily recruits graduates from top South Korean universities to help drive its continued growth. Attracting this young talent is crucial to sustaining Samsung’s technological edge.

Additionally, many of Samsung’s top leadership and executives are South Korean. Key leaders include:

• Lee Jae-yong – Vice Chairman of Samsung, grandson of founder Lee Byung-chull
• Kim Ki-nam – Head of Samsung’s Device Solutions Division
• Koh Dong-jin – Head of Samsung’s IT and Mobile Division

While Samsung has a global workforce, its roots in South Korean talent remains apparent across the leadership team.

Samsung’s Contribution to South Korea’s Economy

Samsung is deeply intertwined with the South Korean economy. Samsung alone comprises about 15% of South Korea’s total exports. It also makes up over 20% of the market capital on the Korea Exchange stock market.

Samsung’s success and innovation have supported the growth of many local supply chains and vendors. The number of South Korean subcontractors that rely on Samsung is estimated to be around 200. These strong domestic supply chains help fuel Samsung’s continued growth.

Samsung directly employs 6.5% of South Koreans who work at major corporations. The company’s dominance provides lucrative employment opportunities, with the average income for Samsung employees exceeding the national average.

Given all of these impacts, Samsung’s overall contribution to South Korean GDP is estimated to be around 17%. As such, Samsung’s fortune is very closely tied to that of the broader South Korean economy.

Samsung’s Influence on South Korean Culture

As South Korea’s largest and most successful company, Samsung holds significant influence over the country’s culture.

Samsung is seen as a prestigious company to work for, making it a highly desirable place for college graduates to start their careers. It attracts some of the top talent in the country due to its reputation for innovation and market success.

Having such a globally dominant technology company has also boosted national pride. Samsung’s achievements on the global stage have helped enhance South Korea’s international image.

Samsung family executives are treated as pseudo-royalty in Korean society. Lee Jae-yong, in particular, is currently vice chairman of Samsung Electronics and is seen by many as the prince of the Samsung dynasty.

Even South Korea’s government sees Samsung as a strategic asset. The national government has supported Samsung with tax breaks, subsidies, and infrastructure as a way to maintain its international presence. Having Samsung thrive is seen as beneficial for the nation overall.

Samsung’s Global Reach

While South Korea remains central to Samsung’s identity, the company has grown to have extensive global operations:

• Over 200 offices in more than 70 countries
• Mobile phone manufacturing in countries like India, Vietnam, and Brazil
• Major R&D centers located in Silicon Valley, Germany, Poland, Russia, India, and China
• Multi-billion dollar semiconductor fabrication plants in Austin, Texas

This global footprint allows Samsung to tap into wider talent pools, reduce manufacturing costs, tailor products to local markets and avoid over-reliance on any one country. But despite this worldwide diversification, South Korea still stands at the heart of Samsung’s empire.

Comparison to Other Major Korean Companies

Samsung looms large over other South Korean companies on the global stage. However, there are other major Korean companies that have found international success in industries like automotive and electronics:

While these chaebols (family-controlled conglomerates) have found success abroad, none have matched the size, reach, and dominance of Samsung. Samsung alone generates over 20% of South Korea’s exports.

Conclusion

In summary, Samsung originated from South Korea over 80 years ago and remains headquartered there today. Its headquarters, R&D centers, manufacturing facilities and workforce are still highly concentrated in South Korea.

Samsung is deeply intertwined with the South Korean economy and culture. Samsung alone makes up 17% of South Korea’s GDP and over 20% of the country’s exports. The company also attracts top talent and its executives are treated like royalty.

While Samsung has extensive global operations spanning 70 countries, South Korea lies at the heart of Samsung’s identity. The nation provided the foundation for Samsung to grow into the electronics giant the world knows today.

So when people ask “which country has Samsung?”, the answer is definitively South Korea. Samsung was born in South Korea over eight decades ago and maintains deep roots there despite its current global reach.