The Full History of Samsung

A long time ago, in 1938, in a small town called Daegu in South Korea, there was a man named Lee Byung-chul. He came from a rich family but was a very ambitious man. He wanted to build something big. Not a house. Not a school. But a business — a business that could feed people, help families, and maybe one day change the world.

He started a small company and gave it a name: Samsung. In Korean, “Samsung” means “three stars.” Lee chose that name because he wanted his company to be strong, bright, and everlasting like the stars in the sky.

But wait, Samsung didn’t start by making phones or TVs. In 1938, Samsung was just a trading company. It sold dried fish, noodles, vegetables, and groceries. That’s right — the same company that now makes smartphones once delivered noodles in bags.

At that time, Korea was under Japanese rule. Life was hard. There was war, poverty, and fear. But Lee didn’t give up. He sent goods across China and Korea, and slowly Samsung grew.

After World War II, Korea became free again. But soon after, the Korean War broke out in 1950. Everything was destroyed. Buildings collapsed. Families were broken. Factories stopped working. Many businesses died. But not Samsung.

Samsung survived.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Samsung started entering new industries. It opened a textile business, a sugar refinery, a life insurance company, and even a paper mill. It wasn’t a tech company yet. It was just a big group trying many things. Lee Byung-chul believed that if he spread his roots in different directions, one day, something big would grow.

In 1969, something big finally happened.

Samsung decided to enter the electronics business. They created a new company called Samsung Electronics. At first, it was small. Very small. Their first product was a black-and-white TV. Nobody knew that this small step would one day make them a giant.

In the 1970s, Samsung made refrigerators, washing machines, and microwaves. People started noticing the brand. At the time, Japanese companies like Sony and Panasonic ruled the world. Samsung was just a quiet beginner.

But things changed in the 1980s. Samsung made its first computer, then a VCR, and then a color TV. It also began making semiconductors — the little brain chips that run machines. This was a turning point. These chips would become the gold of the future.

Then came the year 1993. This year changed everything.

By then, Lee Byung-chul had died, and his son Lee Kun-hee had taken over the company. One day, Lee Kun-hee gathered his top managers and said something shocking:

“Change everything except your wife and children.”

He meant it. He wanted to transform Samsung completely. At that time, Samsung was still seen as a cheap brand — low quality, just okay. Lee wanted Samsung to be known for quality, style, and trust.

So they started over. They destroyed over 150,000 defective phones in front of their employees. It was a message: "We will no longer accept ‘just okay.’ Only the best.”

In the late 1990s, Samsung made sleek, strong, and beautiful TVs and phones. People around the world began to notice.

In 1999, Samsung entered the mobile phone business seriously. It was still behind Nokia and Motorola, but it was rising. The 2000s brought a tech explosion. Samsung launched its first Galaxy smartphone in 2009. It was a big hit. Apple had the iPhone. Samsung had Galaxy. A new battle had begun.

By 2012, Samsung became the biggest smartphone maker in the world. It was no longer a Korean company — it was a global legend.

But not everything was perfect.

In 2016, Samsung faced a disaster. The Galaxy Note 7 had a battery problem. Phones started catching fire. Airlines banned them. The whole world mocked Samsung. It was a dark time.

But Samsung responded fast. They apologized. They recalled millions of phones. They launched a special battery check program. They took the hit but came back stronger. The very next year, they launched the Galaxy S8, and it was a grand success.

Another dark chapter came in 2017 when Samsung's leader Lee Jae-yong (the grandson of the founder) was arrested for bribery and corruption. It shocked the nation. People started asking: “Is Samsung too powerful?” In Korea, Samsung is not just a company. It is part of daily life. They make everything — phones, TVs, hospitals, insurance, ships, even buildings.

Despite the controversies, Samsung kept growing. Today, Samsung makes some of the world’s best TVs, phones, chips, and display panels. Their chips power Apple’s iPhones, Tesla cars, and even space rockets.

Here are some unknown but fun facts:

• Samsung helped build the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.

• Samsung owns Samsung Medical Center, one of Korea’s top hospitals.

• The company also built military tanks and weapons for South Korea.

• Samsung is so big that it makes up over 20% of South Korea’s entire economy.

• Samsung started making biotech medicine — they want to fight cancer too.

Samsung is not just one company. It is a “chaebol” — a Korean word for a huge group of businesses under one family name. They have over 80 companies in their group, from fashion to finance.

Now, in 2025, Samsung is working on AI, quantum computing, foldable phones, and even 6G networks. They dream of smart homes, smart cities, and even space tech. They are not just chasing the future. They are building it.

But the story of Samsung is not about machines. It is about people — a poor country, a rich man’s dream, a family legacy, and the belief that quality matters more than quantity.

Today, when a student in India uses a Samsung phone, or a doctor in Europe watches a Samsung screen, they’re part of this story — a story that started with dried fish and now touches the stars.

Samsung still carries its name with pride — “Three Stars.” Strong. Bright. Everlasting.