The week did not start on a high note for Samsung. The company's heir, Lee Jae Yong, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
Yong faces the retrial's consequences, including one of South Korea's former presidents – Park Geun-hye, regarding bribery and corruption. According to the high court's verdict, Yong "actively provided bribes and implicitly asked the president to use her power to help his smooth succession at the head of Samsung." Lee was found guilty of bribery, embezzlement, and concealment of criminal proceeds worth roughly $7.8 million.
Moreover, Samsung was accused of paying $37.7 million to two non-profit foundations in exchange for political support.
Yong's lawyers were quick to respond to the court's decision, stating that "in regrettable."
The ruling came in less than a week after Samsung released its latest phone – the Galaxy S21 family. The 5G phones come in three models: Galaxy S21, Galaxy S201+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra. The phones can currently be bought on pre-order and will hit the shelves on January 29.
Following the news, Samsung stock price lost more than 4%.
Sources: forbes.com, bbc.com
