The long -term legal battle on Samsung’s chairman has finally ended. The South Korean Supreme Court has cleared JY Lee from all allegations related to accounting fraud and stock manipulation, and has eliminated the cloud that has been near Samsung for a decade.
The matter was focused on controversial integration of $ 8 billion between the Samsung C&T and the Chel Industries in 2015. Prosecutors argued that the contract was designed to secure Lee’s succession and strengthen its control over the gatherings, which has been accused and other executives of manipulating stock prices and fraudulent accounting for minority shareholders. These were not minor charges in any way.
Lee, who took over the leadership after his father suffered a heart attack in 2014, permanently dismissed the allegations, saying that the merger had practiced the administration as usual.
The path to this decision was long and tired. At the end of 2024, the prosecution demanded a five -year imprisonment for Lee, even after a Seoul court earlier this year cleared it from wrongdoing. The history of his legal problems only increased the dispute, especially the bribe -related sentence of former President Park Jeon, which led to his release in 2021 and then fell 18 months behind bars before the pardon in 2022.
By February 2025, Lee won an important victory when an appeal court retained its victory on allegations of fraud and stock manipulation. However, uncertainty remained as the prosecution maintained the right to prosecute the Supreme Court. Now this uncertainty is over. The country’s highest court has upheld the previous decision, and has permanently closed the chapter of these charges and given the Samsung breathing room to focus on its business preferences.
Industry analysts have emphasized that the decision removes a major obstacle under Samsung. They believe that eliminating legal uncertainty can encourage more decisive management and allow the company to focus on long -term strategies rather than short -term survival. Investors have already reacted positively, which has promoted Samsung’s shares as confidence returns to the market.
The front road is not a walk in the park
Galaxy Z Fold 7. | Photo by Fonina
Despite the legal victory, the front road for Lee is not smooth. Samsung recently reported the worst of 56 % in the second quarter operating profit, which deepened investors’ concerns as well as deepening the sale of a slow AI chip. Corporate analysts noted that Lee is now facing a dual challenge to strengthen Samsung’s domination in its core business, identifying new engines for development.
Therefore, Lee will have to focus on restoring the speed of Samsung in the tech race globally. Although the Samsung ecosystem is much stronger than ever, as my fellow Victor says, it would be good if the semi -battery front is combined with competitors.
Also, the next time how the Galaxy Z Folds is a little cheaper? Ah, who am I joking – the recently released Galaxy Z Fold 7’s $ 2,000 price tag will probably be at the top by the next semi -foldable flagship.
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