Samsung's Chairman May Be Gone, But His Stock Won't Let Him Be Forgotten

SEOUL, South Korea -- Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee's resignation under the cloud of a criminal indictment will end his 20-year direct control of South Korea's largest business. But he will retain significant influence as its largest individual shareholder, raising questions about how deeply the business will really change.

Mr. Lee's departure and several other steps announced Tuesday represent a seismic shock to the internal culture of Samsung Group, a collection of 59 companies including Samsung Electronics Co., the giant maker of television sets, cellphones and memory chips. The group didn't name a successor to Mr. Lee, leaving the Samsung ...