S.Korea's CJ Group heir apparent arrested for suspected narcotics law violation

CJ Logistics

05/09/2019 03:18

SEOUL, Sept 5 (Reuters) - The heir apparent of South Korean
food-to-entertainment conglomerate CJ Group has been arrested
for suspected narcotics law violation after turning himself in,
the prosecutors' office said.
    Lee Sun-ho, the 29-year-old son of CJ Group Chairman Lee
Jay-hyun, walked into the office alone on Wednesday evening, the
Incheon District Prosecutors' Office said in a statement on
Wednesday.
    Lee was stopped on arrival at Incheon International Airport
from the United States on Sept. 1 on suspicion of trying to
smuggle marijuana into the country, local media reported citing
the prosecutor's office.
    Reuters calls to the prosecutors' office seeking details of
the allegations went unanswered on Thursday.
    In a statement issued by CJ Group on Thursday, Lee
apologised "for causing significant trouble to CJ executives and
employees and disappointing many people through wrongdoing".
    CJ Group in the statement said Lee told investigators he
would "take responsibility for his wrongdoing".
    On Wednesday, prosecution officials raided Lee's house as
part of its investigation, a person familiar with the matter
told Reuters.
    "The suspect ... said it is heartbreaking that the people
around him are suffering and wished to be arrested as soon as
possible," the prosecutors' office said in its statement.
    Lee, a graduate of Columbia University in the United States,
is a business planning executive at food company CJ Cheiljedang
Corp  097950.KS , part of the CJ Group which owns movie and
entertainment firm CJ ENM Co Ltd  035760.KQ  as well as CJ
Logistics Corp  000120.KS .
    The group's leader, Lee Jay-hyun, is a grandson of Samsung
Group founder Lee Byung-chull.

 (Reporting by Joyce Lee and Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Christopher
Cushing)
 ((jungyoon.lee@thomsonreuters.com; +82 2 3704 5609; Reuters
Messaging: jungyoon.lee.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))