Samsung has replaced its mobile communications chief executive in the wake of a troubled year for the south Korean company, as it struggled to compete with arch rival Apple for dominance of the lucrative smartphone market.
JK Shin, who was appointed in March 2013, will be cede day-to-day control to Dongjin Koh, who is currently head of Samsung’s mobile research arm, which developed the impending Samsung Pay contactless payments system.
Shin will instead concentrate on long-term strategy for the company, while retaining his title as co-chief executive of Samsung Electronics, alongside B.K Yoon who has been moved from head of the consumer electronics division to also focus on wider corporate strategy. Kwon Oh-hyun, the company’s third joint-chief executive and head of semiconductor operations, is to remain in his current role.