Samsung Chair Imprisoned and 24 Others Found Guilty In Union-Busting Case

An anonymous reader writes: Samsung Chairman Lee Sang-hoon yesterday was sentenced to 18 months in prison, following a South Korean court ruling that he violated labor laws with union-busting activities. Lee "was immediately arrested in court to be sent to jail," the Financial Times reported.

Lee's violations came during his time as Samsung chief financial officer between 2012 and 2017; he has been chairman of the board since March 2018. Samsung VP Kang Kyung-hoon also received an 18-month prison sentence for his involvement, the Financial Times wrote. The sentences were handed down by the Seoul Central District Court. In all, about 25 current and former Samsung executives were found guilty on similar charges of violating labor laws. "The case largely focused on efforts by Samsung officials, including Mr. Lee, to dismantle the labor union at the company's customer-service unit," The Wall Street Journal wrote. "The court convicted Samsung officials on multiple charges, including gathering personal information on some union members, such as their marital status, personal finances, and mental-health histories."