Samsung Electronics vice chairman and the conglomerate's heir Lee Jae-yong was arrested earlier this week as the investigation into South Korea's influence-peddling scandal continues. His sudden arrest has left a leadership vacuum at the company but Samsung says that despite his arrest, it's going to be business as usual at the conglomerate.
Lee Jae-yong appeared before the special prosecutor's team today for further questioning after spending the night in a jail cell. The team is expected to continue questioning him until February 28. They will be focusing on allegations that Lee paid more than $35 million in bribes to a close friend of President Park Geun-hye in return for the government's support.
According to a report out of Korea, the management at Samsung remains on high alert following the arrest of their leader. The company says that day-to-day operations will be run by professional managers. “Daily operations of Samsung Electronics and its affiliates will not be affected by the arrest because they are run by professional CEOs” said a Samsung future strategy office spokesperson. The office serves as the control tower of the conglomerate and was on duty over the weekend.
Simply put, just because Lee Jae-yong has been arrested doesn't mean that Samsung will suddenly take a break from everything. It's a very, very big company that has competent people in its ranks to keep the ship steady through these troubled waters.
