Samsung Head Is A Suspect In South Korea's Political Scandal

South Korea's far-reaching political scandal centered around President Park Guen-hye has involved Samsung since the beginning and one of its leaders is a suspect. A special prosecutor has listed Jay Y. Lee, de facto head of Samsung Group, as a suspect in a bribery investigation.

Investigators in the case have requested parliament file perjury charges against Lee because of the testimony he provided to the National Assembly in December. The bribery charges center around large donations made by Samsung to foundations controlled by Choi Soon-sil, a close friend of President Park.

Those donations may have been politically motivated.

Samsung accounts for 20% of Korea's gross domestic product. Jay Y. Lee has managed large parts of the conglomerate in recent years and he could one day fully take over the company.