Seoul: South Korean investigators said yesterday they will come to a decision within 24 hours on whether to arrest Samsung Vice-Chairman Lee Jae-yong. Lee is caught up in a wide-ranging scandal that led to President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment on December 9 -- the powerful business figure underwent an overnight interrogation last week on suspicions that his company paid tens of millions of dollars to secure backing for a merger in 2015 through a now detained presidential confidante, Choi Soon-sil.
“We plan to make a decision on whether to seek the warrant before a regular press briefing today,” a probe team spokesperson said . Investigators had anticipated reaching an outcome over the weekend, and the delay may reflect concerns that the Samsung chief’s arrest could have negative consequences for South Korea’s sluggish economy.
