Lee Jae-yong, the imprisoned de facto leader of Samsung Group has been rushed to a Samsung Hospital where he underwent surgery for appendicitis, Samsung officials have confirmed.
The operation was conducted as questions about his future involvement in the Company were being probed by South Korean authorities.
Lee, the vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., was transferred to Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul and received the surgery due to a ruptured appendix according to Samsung officials.
Earlier this year the 52-year-old tycoon was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in a retrial of a bribery case involving former President Park Geun-hye.
Now he is facing an uncertain business future after it was revealed that an external compliance monitoring committee set up to investigate Samsung Electronics and its affiliates concluded that the restriction on Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong’s employment was “unclear.”
Several Countries will ban him from entering their Country because he is a convicted felon.
The external committee, led by South Korea’s former Chief Justice Kim Ji-hyung, discussed the ongoing controversy involving the Ministry of Justice’s latest ban on Lee from being employed by Samsung for five years due to his conviction in a bribery scandal involving former President Park Geun-hye.
“With regard to Lee’s employment ban, the committee believes there are unclear parts regarding the conditions and scope of the ban,” it said in a statement.
“The committee will advise Samsung Electronics to comply with the particular laws as it proceeds with the needed procedures.”
Lee is now in prison as the Seoul High Court slapped him with a 2 1/2-year sentence in January.
The Justice Ministry notified Lee of the employment ban last month.
Under laws relating to economic crimes, convicted businesspeople are banned from working for their companies for five years after their release.
Whether it is appropriate to impose the ban on Lee or not remains controversial.
Lee holds the title of vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, but he has not been paid by the company since 2019. He is not a registered director either.
At the annual shareholders meeting on Wednesday, some shareholders demanded Samsung’s board strip Lee of the vice chairman title.
