Samsung Group announced two transactions on Thursday that highlight the growing pressure on Korea’s biggest conglomerate to speed up corporate restructuring as it prepares for dynastic change.
They comprise the partial selldown by the only son of group chairman Lee Kun-hee and chief heir apparent, Lee Jae-yong, of a Samsung SDS stake and the internal transfer of Samsung Card shares between Samsung Electronics and Samsung Life Insurance.
Lee Jae-yong has commenced corporate restructuring within the group after his father was hospitalised in May 2014. Equity transactions and mergers among Samsung affiliates have amounted to $18.3 billion since then, including the $11.2 billion merger between Samsung C...