Samsung to bolster alliance with Facebook

Samsung Electronics CEO Shin Jong-kyun, left shakes hands with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, right, after a seven-hour business meeting at Samsung’s main office in southern Seoul, late Tuesday. / Yonhap

By Kim Yoo-chul

The chief executives of Samsung Electronics and Facebook discussed mutual business opportunities in their meeting in Seoul Tuesday, with the potential plans including a new smartphone optimized for users of the social media service.

“It was a great discussion,” Samsung Electronics co-CEO Shin Jong-kyun told The Korea Times after a marathon business meeting with a Facebook delegation led by its CEO Mark Zuckerberg at Samsung’s main office in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul. Shin is one of the CEOs of the IT giant, along with Yoon Boo-keun and vice chairman Kwon Oh-hyun

“The new trend in the global information and technology industry and other related topics were the main issues on the table. Zuckerberg was a very good person,” said Shin, who is also leading Samsung’s mobile device business.

The Facebook CEO arrived at Samsung headquarters around 1:40 p.m., Tuesday and the meeting continued until 8:30 p.m. He met with Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jay-yong alongside the company’s marketing chief, Lee Don-joo.

Facebook, which operates the world’s most popular social-networking site, is endeavoring to entice users to spend more time on its mobile services, which prompted Zuckerberg to visit the country and Samsung for the first time using his private jet.

Facebook has been consistently seeking to expand its business partnership with Samsung, the world’s biggest manufacturer of smartphones, according to Samsung officials.

Shin, however, denied speculation that Samsung is going to introduce a so-called “Facebook Phone” by adopting a Facebook launcher for Samsung smartphones as has Taiwan’s HTC.

He also didn’t answer whether Samsung had asked Facebook to use its advanced low power consumption chips at the latter’s data centers.

“I believe there will be a chance to talk about the details of today’s business meeting. But not today,” Shin said.

The Samsung vice chairman and heir-apparent Lee Jay-yong weren’t seen at Zuckerberg’s departure from the building.

The Facebook delegation left Korea at 10:05 p.m. from Gimpo International Airport, according to airport officials.