However, in August the Supreme Court sent
the case back to the High Court, saying that
the amount of bribes Lee was judged to have
offered was undervalued.
Some legal experts say Lee could be sentenced
to another term in jail if convicted for a higher
amount of bribes. Prosecutors claim the funds
were embezzled from Samsung’s corporate coffers.
South Korean corporate leaders often have
gotten relatively lenient punishment for
corruption, business irregularities and other
crimes, with judges often citing concerns for the
country’s economy.