Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong recently went through surgery. As a result, his trial will take place next month. Photo courtesy of Samsung Electronics

Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has part of colon removed

Imprisoned Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s another trial slated for this week was postponed to late next month due to his recent surgery.

A Seoul court noted that the trial will take place on April 22. It is about Lee’s alleged involvement in an accounting fraud related to the controversial merger of two Samsung units in 2015.

Lee was jailed this January for bribing former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who is also behind bars, to win government support in beefing up his control over Samsung.

Last September, Lee was indicted for different charges of unfair trading and stock manipulation. The 52-year-old tycoon is also suspected of being involved in alleged accounting fraud of Samsung’s pharmaceutical affiliate.

In response, Lee has denied all the allegations.

Lee is scheduled for release in July 2022. In case the court convicts him once again, however, his jail term would be extended.

Lee was supposed to take part in the trial on March 25. But he was transferred to Samsung Medical Center to undergo surgery last week due to a ruptured appendix.

He reportedly had part of his colon removed.

As it is expected to take weeks for Lee to recover from the surgery, his lawyers asked the court to postpone the trial.

A Samsung Electronics official declined to elaborate on the issue, just saying, “As far as I know, Lee is fine now. But we don’t know the details since the Justice Ministry deals with his surgery and hospitalization.”
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