SEOUL — The heir of South Korean giant Samsung was arrested Friday as part of a probe into corruption and influence-peddling that caused President Park Geun-hye to be impeached. Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Electronics vice chairman, is accused of paying nearly US$40 million in bribes to Park’s secret confidante to secure policy favours. Lee, the son of the Samsung group boss Lee Kun-hee, has been quizzed several times over his alleged role in the scandal that has rocked the nation. Lee has effectively taken the helm of Samsung -- South Korea’s biggest business group -- since his father suffered a heart attack in 2014. Samsung is South Korea’s largest business group and its revenue is equivalent to about a fifth of the country’s GDP.

Source: Viet Nam News February 17, 2017 08:34 UTC