Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Leader, Is Indicted on Bribery Charges -
SEOUL, South Korea — The head of Samsung, one of the world’s largest conglomerates, was indicted on bribery
and embezzlement charges on Tuesday, becoming one of the most prominent business tycoons ever to face trial in South Korea.
Ms. Park was identified as a criminal accomplice in November, when state prosecutors indicted Ms. Choi on charges of extorting tens of millions of dollars from Samsung
and other chaebol by leveraging her connections with the president.
Four other senior executives of Samsung were also indicted Tuesday,
but not arrested, on the same corruption charges as Mr. Lee, and three of the four resigned.
Mr. Lee was also accused of committing perjury when he insisted during a parliamentary hearing that he had never bribed Ms. Choi or Ms. Park.
In return, the prosecutor said in his indictment, Mr. Lee received political favors, most notably government support for a merger of two Samsung affiliates in 2015
that helped him inherit corporate control from his incapacitated father, Lee Kun-hee.
Mr. Lee was arrested on Feb. 17, a dramatic development in South Korea’s struggle to end collusive ties between the government
and family-controlled conglomerates, or chaebol, that dominate the economy.
Mr. Lee was accused of giving or promising $38 million in bribes to Choi Soon-sil, a secretive confidante of Ms. Park.
Samsung has said it will try to clear Mr. Lee’s name at trial.
