Samsung heir arrives for questioning over presidential scandal

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The heir apparent of the Samsung Group, South Korea's largest family-run conglomerate, arrived on Thursday morning at the office of an independent counsel investigating a scandal involving impeached President Park Geun-hye for questioning.

Lee Jae-yong, co-vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co. speaks to members of the media as he arrives at the special prosecutors' office in Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. /CFP Photo

TV footage showed that Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong got out of a black sedan at about 9:30 am local time and told reporters that he felt "very sorry to people" for this matter. Lee bowed his head before going inside the special prosecutor office.

Lee will be questioned as a suspect in the influence-peddling scandal. Samsung is suspected of having provided the biggest donations among scores of conglomerates to two nonprofit foundations controlled by Choi Soon-sil, President Park's longtime confidante at the center of the scandal.

Choi Soon-sil, the jailed confidante of disgraced South Korean President Park Geun-Hye, appears for her first trial on January 5, 2017 in Seoul, South Korea. /CFP Photo

Samsung also signed a 22 billion won (18.6 million US dollars) contract with a German company, owned by Choi and her daughter, to provide financial assistance for the daughter's equestrian training. The company also offered 16.3 billion won to a winter sports center managed by Choi's niece.

Suspicion was raised that the financial assistance was provided in return for getting support in the merger in July 2015 of two Samsung affiliates to create a de-facto holding company.

The logos for Samsung Group, left, and Cheil Industries Inc. are displayed atop the Cheil Industries office building in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday, June 12, 2015. /CFP Photo‍

The merger between Samsung C&T, a construction unit, and Cheil Industries, a former de facto holding company, was extremely crucial to the management control transfer to the vice chairman from his father Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who has been hospitalized since a heart attack since May 2014.

President Park and Vice Chairman Lee met face-to-face around the time of the merger. If any quid pro quo deals are proven between Lee and Park or between Lee and Choi, convicts could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

(Story by Xinhua)‍

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