Prosecutors on Thursday appealed a recent court acquittal of Samsung Electronics Co. Chairman Lee Jae-yong in a controversial Samsung affiliate merger case, sources said. On Monday, the Seoul Central District Court delivered a not-guilty sentence for Lee, who was charged over alleged engagement in market irregularities over the course of the controversial merger of two Samsung affiliates, Cheil Industries Inc. and Samsung C and T Corp., in 2015. In response, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office on Thursday filed an appeal against the ruling, claiming the merger was aimed at solidifying Lee's managerial control of the firm at a lower cost, according to judicial sources. The prosecution had demanded a five-year prison sentence for the chief of South Korea's largest conglomerate. The merger was seen as crucial to Lee's succession as the heir of the family-controlled firm, as his father, Lee Kun-hee, had suffered a heart attack the previous year. Source: Yonhap News Agency
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