<p>South Korean prosecutors on Wednesday requested a nine-year prison term for Samsung's de facto chief, Lee Jae-yong, during a retrial of his bribery charges.</p>.<p>The case is a key element in an explosive 2016 scandal that triggered months of public protests and toppled the country's president.</p>.<p>The development comes as Lee faces immense pressure to navigate Samsung's transition after his father and Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-Hee died in October at age 78 after years of hospitalisation.</p>.<p>Special prosecutor Park Young-soo demanded the Seoul High Court sentence Lee to prison. He said Samsung “more actively sought illicit benefits” than other businesses with regard to the 2016 scandal.</p>.<p>Park said Samsung, which is South Korea's biggest company, should “set the example” for efforts to root out corruption.</p>.<p>Lee, 52, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, was sentenced in 2017 to five years in prison for offering 8.6 billion won (USD 7 million) in bribes to former President Park Geun-hye and one of her longtime confidants to get her government's backing for his push to solidify his control over Samsung.</p>.<p>But he was freed in early 2018 after the Seoul High Court reduced his term to 2 ½ years and suspended his sentence, overturning key convictions and reducing the amount of his bribes.</p>.<p>Last year, the Supreme Court returned the case to the high court, ruling that the amount of Lee's bribes had been undervalued.</p>.<p>In September, prosecutors separately indicted Lee for alleged stock price manipulation, breach of trust and auditing violations related to a 2015 merger between two Samsung affiliates that helped strengthen Lee's control over the group's crown jewel, Samsung Electronics.</p>.<p>Lee's lawyers denied the charges, calling them “one-sided claims.” They say the 2015 merger was “normal business activity.”</p>
<p>South Korean prosecutors on Wednesday requested a nine-year prison term for Samsung's de facto chief, Lee Jae-yong, during a retrial of his bribery charges.</p>.<p>The case is a key element in an explosive 2016 scandal that triggered months of public protests and toppled the country's president.</p>.<p>The development comes as Lee faces immense pressure to navigate Samsung's transition after his father and Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-Hee died in October at age 78 after years of hospitalisation.</p>.<p>Special prosecutor Park Young-soo demanded the Seoul High Court sentence Lee to prison. He said Samsung “more actively sought illicit benefits” than other businesses with regard to the 2016 scandal.</p>.<p>Park said Samsung, which is South Korea's biggest company, should “set the example” for efforts to root out corruption.</p>.<p>Lee, 52, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, was sentenced in 2017 to five years in prison for offering 8.6 billion won (USD 7 million) in bribes to former President Park Geun-hye and one of her longtime confidants to get her government's backing for his push to solidify his control over Samsung.</p>.<p>But he was freed in early 2018 after the Seoul High Court reduced his term to 2 ½ years and suspended his sentence, overturning key convictions and reducing the amount of his bribes.</p>.<p>Last year, the Supreme Court returned the case to the high court, ruling that the amount of Lee's bribes had been undervalued.</p>.<p>In September, prosecutors separately indicted Lee for alleged stock price manipulation, breach of trust and auditing violations related to a 2015 merger between two Samsung affiliates that helped strengthen Lee's control over the group's crown jewel, Samsung Electronics.</p>.<p>Lee's lawyers denied the charges, calling them “one-sided claims.” They say the 2015 merger was “normal business activity.”</p>