Prosecutors seek 9-year prison term for Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong

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.

The case is a key element in an explosive 2016 scandal that triggered months of public protests and toppled the country’s president.

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.

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.

Park said Samsung, which is South Korea’s biggest company, should set the example for efforts to root out corruption.