대법, 이재용 '뇌물공여' 인정...박근혜•최순실도 '파기환송'
South Korea's Supreme Court delivered its final verdict on the corruption scandal that led to the impeachment and imprisonment of Park Geun-hye.
The top court sent back the cases to a lower court for a retrial, and it's widely believed that both the ex-president and Lee Jae-yong, Samsung's de-facto chair will face heavier sentences as it ruled a larger sum of Lee's donations constitute bribes for his political gains.
Choi Si-young has our top story.
The Supreme Court has found Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong guilty of two counts of bribery... for the three horses and one-point-three U.S. million dollars he gave to former President Park Geun-hye's confidante Choi Soon-sil.
He will sit for a retrial at the appeals court.
"The appeals court's decision that ruled Lee Jae-yong and his close Samsung aides not guilty of bribery charges has been overturned and sent back to the Seoul High Court."
The Supreme Court also asked the appeals court to review Park's prison sentence again because she was given a combined sentence for bribery and corruption... while the law requires separate sentences for public officials convicted of bribe-taking
That means Park will likely get another prison sentence at the appeals court.
For Park's confidante, Choi Soon-sil, the court says the charge that she extorted money from local companies is not clearly proven and it asked the lower court to review those charges again.
At retrial, she's likely to get her prison sentence reduced.
While all of those involved in the corruption scandal will go through a retrial at the appeals courts, all eyes are on Lee Jae-yong, as he is likely to face a prison sentence this time.
And watchers speculate this may push South Korea's largest tech giant into an extended period of difficulties amid the simmering trade tensions between South Korea and Japan.
Choi Si-young, Arirang News.
