Samsung heir Lee appears in court for corruption retrial

Billionaire Samsung scion Lee Jae-yong has appeared in court for a retrial on corruption charges that partially fueled an explosive 2016 scandal that spurred massive protests and sent South Korea’s then-president to prison.

The retrial that began at the Seoul High Court on Friday had been ordered by the Supreme Court in August. It concluded the amount of bribes Lee was accused of providing to ex-President Park Geun-hye and her confidante had been underestimated previously.

The earlier ruling had freed the Samsung Electronics vice chairman from jail on a suspended sentence.

Some legal experts say Lee is facing an increased possibility of serving jail time in the retrial. But Lee’s case could take months and even years if he or the prosecutors appeal again to the Supreme Court.