Jeeho Lee, eldest son of Lee Jae-yong, to be sent abroad next month for the first time to join multinational exercise 'Cobra Gold'

[The Financial News] Navy Second Lieutenant Jeeho Lee, eldest son of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, will be dispatched next month for his first overseas combined exercise.
According to reports from Munhwa Ilbo and other outlets on the 23rd, Second Lieutenant Lee is scheduled to be sent to Cobra Gold 2026, the largest multinational combined exercise in Southeast Asia, which will take place in and around Thailand next month.
Cobra Gold is a joint exercise hosted by United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) and the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters. Launched in 1982, it has focused primarily on humanitarian assistance and peacekeeping operations.
This year’s Cobra Gold exercise falls in a so‐called "heavy year," when large numbers of troops and equipment are deployed on a biennial cycle. As a result, more than 8,000 personnel from 30 countries, including the United States of America (U.S.), South Korea, and Thailand, are expected to gather, and the drills will be more intensive and combat‐oriented than in previous years.
For this exercise, the Republic of Korea Navy and Marine Corps will send around 300 service members. As an interpreting officer, Second Lieutenant Lee is expected to support communication between the South Korean naval command and the multinational command, including U.S. forces, throughout the training period.
Second Lieutenant Lee entered the Republic of Korea Naval Academy in September last year as a Navy officer candidate and was commissioned as a second lieutenant at the end of November.
Born in the United States of America (U.S.) and holding dual citizenship in South Korea and the U.S., he renounced his U.S. citizenship and enlisted in order to fulfill his military service as a Navy officer.
newssu@fnnews.com Reporter Kim Su-yeon Reporter