Lee Jae-yong's First Trial on 'Propofol Injection Charges' Postponed to the 7th of Next Month

Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics, who was released on parole after 207 days of re-imprisonment, is seen greeting as he leaves Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province on the 13th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung, Uiwang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The first trial of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, who was indicted on charges of illegally administering propofol, has been postponed.

According to the legal community on the 13th, Judge Jang Young-chae of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 11, who was scheduled to hold Lee's first hearing on the 19th, changed the date to the 7th of next month. It is known that this was at the request of his newly appointed defense attorney.

Previously, Lee was investigated after a public interest report was filed with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission alleging that he habitually administered the psychotropic drug propofol at a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam, Seoul. The prosecution determined that he used propofol for non-medical purposes and filed a summary indictment on the 4th of last month.

Subsequently, the prosecution received another propofol-related case involving Lee from the police, launched an investigation, and applied to the court to refer the case to a regular trial. At the time, a prosecution official stated, "We applied for a formal trial procedure to review the necessity of amending the indictment depending on the outcome of the ongoing investigation of similar cases." The court accepted the prosecution's request and referred the case to a formal trial.

Lee will face another trial following the ongoing trial related to 'unfair merger and accounting fraud.'

Meanwhile, Lee, who was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison in January for charges related to the national power abuse scandal and was re-incarcerated at Seoul Detention Center, was released on the morning of the 13th after serving 207 days, following the Ministry of Justice's decision on the 9th to grant him a special pardon for Liberation Day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.