Story of chaebol heir's quiet condolence call resurfaces as Samsung Electronics posts record quarterly earnings

As Samsung Electronics posts a record quarterly performance, a story about Chairman Lee Jae-yong's character is drawing renewed attention online.

According to the online community Bobaedream and social media posts circulating Friday, a post titled "The character of a conglomerate owner" spread widely on Wednesday, the day Samsung Electronics announced its best-ever quarterly results.

The post described how a janitor who had worked more than 20 years at Samsung Electronics' Seocho office building died of a chronic illness — and how Lee visited the funeral home alone, without any attendants.

The author, identified only as A, wrote that Lee canceled all his scheduled engagements that evening upon hearing the news and arrived at the funeral home alone, without flowers or bodyguards, dressed simply.

The post continued, saying Lee took the hands of the surprised bereaved family members and told them: "Your mother worked hardest in the unseen corners of Samsung. I will never forget her dedication."

A wrote that Lee set aside the weight of his authority, covered the funeral expenses out of his own pocket and offered sincere condolences, adding that the gesture "gives a truly warm resonance to our cold society."

Online commenters responded with remarks including "He still has a sense of romance, I like that," "Jay Y. Lee's character is top-tier — he seems genuinely kind by nature," "This is why the image the media creates matters so much," and "Has the semiconductor leukemia occupational disease claim been recognized yet?"