Head of Samsung's smartphone business, Koh Dong-jin said: "We are asking users to power down their Galaxy Note 7s and exchange them as soon as possible.
"We are expediting replacement devices so that they can be provided through the exchange program as conveniently as possible and in compliance with related regulations."
For Samsung – a technology company that prides itself on its manufacturing prowess – the unprecedented scale of this recall marks a huge blow to its reputation.
The South Korean company will exchange all affected Galaxy Note 7 smartphones with a replacement device using a safe battery.
The next batch of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices will include a large circular label with an S across the white barcode label, indicating that the device is safe.
That should make it much easier for customers to distinguish between those Note 7s that do pose a risk, as well as those that are safe to use on-flights – and charge.