Lee Jae-yong Appeal Trial Court Suspends New Case Assignments for Two Months

The appellate court presiding over the case against Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong on charges of 'unfair merger and accounting fraud' will not accept new case assignments from next month until August. Attention is focused on whether the trial of Chairman Lee will gain momentum.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is leaving the courthouse after being acquitted in the first trial for charges related to unfair merger and accounting fraud in the Samsung Group's management succession case at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on February 5.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the legal community on the 4th, the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 13 (Presiding Judges Baek Gang-jin, Kim Seon-hee, and Lee In-su) decided to suspend case assignments for two months from August 1 to August 31, following consultations with other trial divisions at their request. The suspension period may be extended if necessary.

According to court regulations, a trial division can request a suspension of new case assignments when concentrated hearings are required. The decision to suspend assignments appears to consider the complexity of the case issues and the extensive additional hearings needed at the appellate level.

Chairman Lee was indicted in September 2020 on charges of involvement in various fraudulent transactions, market manipulation, and accounting fraud orchestrated by the Future Strategy Office during the 2015 merger of Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T, aimed at securing stable succession of management rights at minimal cost and strengthening control.

After a trial lasting three years and five months, the first trial court acquitted Chairman Lee of all 19 charges in February. Dissatisfied, the prosecution appealed and submitted an appeal brief of about 1,300 pages. At the first preparatory hearing of the second trial on the 27th of last month, the prosecution submitted a list of approximately 2,300 pieces of evidence not presented in the first trial and requested 11 witnesses.

The court has scheduled one more preparatory hearing on the 22nd of next month.