Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong fined $60,000 for sedative abuse

South Korean court scolds mogul, asking him to set example for children

20211026 Samsung Electronics Co. Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong

Samsung Electronics' Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, center, leaves the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, on Oct. 26 after being fined $60,000 for sedative abuse. © Yonhap/EPA/Jiji

KIM JAEWON, Nikkei staff writer

October 26, 2021 13:59 JST

SEOUL -- A South Korean district court fined billionaire Samsung Electronics' Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong 70 million won ($60,000) on Tuesday over the tycoon's repeated use of an anesthetic.

The Seoul Central District Court ordered Lee to pay the money as the drug, known as propofol, is an addictive controlled substance and its abuse can result in social problems.