Samsung’s heir Lee Jae Yong fined ₩70M for final verdict on illegal drug use

Lee Jae Yong, the Samsung heir and currently leading the company, has been released from prison earlier than he was sentenced for. This happened as businessmen, and some politicians petitioned for his early release through pardon.

Business leaders stepped up to request for Lee Jae Yong’s release because they said Samsung needs its head, especially at this time when chip shortage has been creating problems for most companies in the tech and automotive industries. They also reasoned that without Lee in the office, foreign companies could benefit from the businesses that Samsung will not be able to do as its chief is not able to work.

In any case, Lee Jae Yong has other offenses aside from the bribery and embezzlement cases that he was previously convicted of. One of them is his alleged illegal use of propofol, and the verdict for this case has been handed down recently.

According to The Korea Herald, the Samsung leader will have to pay ₩70 million in fines or around $59,200. This means the court found him guilty for the use of the anesthetic medication when he has not been medically prescribed with it.

The court revealed the final decision this week. It was reported that the fine was finalized as the prosecutors and Lee Jae Yong have not filed an appeal during the deadline or the last day of the seven-day window to submit an appeal to the court.

Last week, the Seoul Central District Court ordered the Samsung leader to pay a fine for violations of South Korea’s Narcotics Control Act. Since he did not file an appeal for this, it was determined that he would settle the hefty fine.

Lee Jae Yong was first indicted for illegal propofol use in June. Based on the court documents, he took the medication for a total of 41 instances between January 2015 until May of last year. He was said to have used the regulated medication for other use and not for medical treatment.