Former South Korean president sentenced to 17 years in prison for taking bribes World

Before that, prosecutors demanded a 20-year prison sentence for Lee on 16 counts, which included taking bribes, embezzlement and abuse of power.

According to the Seoul Central District Court, Mr. Lee received nearly 6 billion won from the Samsung Group to settle a lawsuit in the United States involving a DAS company believed to be owned by the former president.

In return, Lee will issue an amnesty to Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee (who passed away on October 25, 2020) on charges of tax evasion. Both Lee and Samsung have denied it. Furthermore, Mr. Lee was charged with establishing a DAS black fund in the amount of 24.6 billion won.

In February 2020, the Seoul High Court sentenced former President Lee to 17 years in prison for finding that the amount he received from a bribe was higher than what he admitted.

The Seoul High Court found that Mr. Lee embezzled 25.2 billion won from the DAS and charged him with bribery totaling 9.4 billion won, 800 million won more than the previously adjudicated figure.