South Korean industry titans harangued in scandal probe
South Korea’s most powerful tycoons squirm in unprecedented parliamentary grilling
Seoul — South Korea’s most powerful tycoons, including de facto Samsung chief Lee Jae-Yong, stammered and squirmed Tuesday under a verbal assault from a parliamentary committee probing a corruption scandal that has riveted the nation. Millions watched in astonishment as the televised hearing showed the heads of the country’s eight largest conglomerates being publicly chastised over donations their companies made to dubious foundations controlled by Choi Soo-Sil, a close friend of President Park Geun-Hye. "Do you know anything?" one legislator chided Lee as he repeatedly claimed ignorance of who in Samsung authorised cash transfers to a foundation in Germany that funded the equestrian training of Choi’s daughter. "Do you think you’re doing a good job as the head of a global company like Samsung by saying that you don’t know?" the legislator demanded. The vice-chairman of Samsung Electronics and de facto head of the entire Samsung Group looked deeply uncomfortable as he sought to bat ...
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