Why Seoul Semiconductor CEO Chung Hoon Lee Wears Long Hair
Source: AsiaToday, Reporter Jinsook Park, April 9, 2025
Original Article (Korean)

Since 2007, Seoul Semiconductor CEO Chung Hoon Lee has fought more than 100 patent lawsuits—and won them all. Remarkably, he has not cut his hair for over six years. His long hair, now reaching down to his waist, symbolizes his determination to protect patents, especially from global corporate giants.

Lee first began growing his hair in 2007 after Seoul Semiconductor became embroiled in a patent dispute with Nichia, the world’s No.1 LED company based in Japan. At the time, he declared, “I won’t cut my hair until we win.” During the legal battle, the company’s employees showed their defiance by stepping on the Nichia logo in the office lobby and sitting on chairs draped with the logo.

After winning four lawsuits filed by Nichia in 2009, Lee cut his hair. But as the company became involved in an increasing number of patent litigations, all of which Seoul Semiconductor won—103 cases as of September 2024—he decided six years ago to let his hair grow until all such battles were fully resolved. Currently, more than 30 cases are still ongoing.

In December last year, Seoul Semiconductor won another major victory when global lighting company Philips filed a lawsuit in Germany to invalidate one of its core patents. The German patent court upheld the validity of Seoul Semiconductor’s CRI 70 (Color Rendering Index 70%) technology, ordering Philips to recall and destroy all related lighting products sold since March 2017.

CEO Lee believes that patents are the “only ladder to success” for small and mid-sized enterprises and young entrepreneurs. He stated, “Patents level the playing field, allowing small companies to grow into global players through innovation. They are valuable technologies that must be protected at a national level.”

Seoul Semiconductor’s proprietary “WICOP” technology—a core component in Micro LED development—has positioned the company as a leader in next-generation display solutions. Micro LEDs are expected to replace conventional displays and account for 20% of the market, worth $30 billion, within the next decade. The Korean government has designated Micro LED as a national strategic industry, with Seoul Semiconductor's WICOP technology leading the global LED display sector.

As the world’s third-largest LED manufacturer, Seoul Semiconductor holds over 18,000 patents and invests 10% of its annual revenue in R&D. The company is committed to protecting intellectual property as a means of inspiring hope and shaping a better world for future generations.