Lee Jae-yong, the acting chief of Samsung and its heir apparent, was arrested Friday on bribery and embezzlement charges in Seoul, South Korea. Seoul
Lee Jae-yong, the acting chief of Samsung and its heir apparent, was arrested Friday on bribery and embezzlement charges in Seoul, South Korea.
Seoul Central District Court approved prosecutors’ request for an arrest warrant about a month after an unsuccessful attempt to detain the 48-year-old corporate scion, who also goes by the name Jay Y. Lee.
The arrest also comes two months after South Korean lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to impeach President Park Geun-hye on allegations of corruption — allegations in which Lee has come to play a central role, as NPR’s Elise Hu notes for our Newscast unit:
« The 48-year-old Lee is accused of funneling some $37 million in company funds to a confidant of the president’s, in order to ensure government support for a controversial merger. The merger was approved more than a year ago. »
Lee has denied wrongdoing, though the BBC reports he has expressed regret that Samsung also « gave a horse and money to help the equestrian career » of the daughter of that Park confidant, Choi Soon-sil.
