Samsung chair indicted over failure to disclose affiliates

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee was indicted by prosecutors seeking a fine of 100 million won ($88,240) on Monday for failing to disclose a full list of the conglomerate’s affiliates.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said that Lee did not notify authorities of two of the conglomerate’s affiliates - Samoo Architects & Engineers and Seoyoung - in 2014.

Under Korea’s fair trade law, large conglomerates with assets over 10 trillion won ($9.36 billion) such as Samsung have to disclose a full list of affiliated companies in order to prevent unfair business practices.

The prosecution announcement follows a Fair Trade Commission investigation in November.

Lee has been bedridden since suffering a heart attack in 2014 and has not been seen in public since then.

By Chae Yun-hwan