SEOUL. Sept. 10 (UPI) -- The only son of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong has surrendered his U.S. citizenship to join the South Korean Navy for training.
Samsung Electronics confirmed Wednesday that Lee Ji-ho will enlist as a naval officer candidate Monday.
"To fulfill his mandatory military service, Lee renounced his U.S. citizenship and will serve for 39 months, including the training period," the tech giant said in a statement. "After completing 11 weeks of training, he is scheduled to be commissioned as a naval ensign on Dec. 1."
All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve at least 18 months in the armed forces as part of efforts to safeguard the country from external security threats, including those posed by North Korea.
Born in the United States in 2000, the junior Lee held Korean and American citizenship. He graduated from a high school in Canada and entered a university in Paris. He has stayed in the United States as an exchange student.
