[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The trial for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong's 'management succession suspicion' case will begin on the 22nd.
The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 25-2 (Chief Judge Lim Jeong-yeop) will hold Lee's first pretrial hearing that afternoon. The pretrial hearing is a session to confirm the defendant's position on the charges and discuss future plans. Since the defendant is not obligated to attend, Lee and others are expected not to appear in court.
From the investigation stage, Lee's side has claimed that the merger between Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries was a legitimate activity necessary for business management and has maintained their innocence. They are expected to uphold the same stance on this day as well. On the other hand, the prosecution believes that Samsung Group's Future Strategy Office meticulously planned the merger for Lee's management succession. Given the tense standoff between the two sides throughout the 1 year and 9 months of prosecution investigation, the courtroom battle is also expected to be intense.
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