Published : Sept. 6, 2019 - 21:09
The heir apparent of South Korea's food and entertainment conglomerate CJ was arrested Friday on drug charges.
The Incheon District Court issued an arrest warrant for Lee Sun-ho, the eldest son of Chairman Lee Jay-hyun, saying that he may try to flee or destroy evidence.
Lee Sun-ho (Yonhap)
Lee, 28, was caught Sunday attempting to smuggle liquid marijuana in cartridges into the country via Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. He also tested positive for the banned substance.
Prosecutors, however, released him after an initial investigation. Amid controversy over possible preferential treatment, the business tycoon's scion voluntarily showed up at the Incheon prosecution office Wednesday and requested to be arrested as soon as possible. He has since been detained there.
Lee has been working at CJ Cheiljedang Corp., a CJ Group affiliate that produces various food products, since 2013.
Lee's case is the latest in a series of drug crimes involving families of South Korean conglomerates. Earlier in the day, the Incheon court handed out suspended jail terms for scions of two South Korean conglomerate families -- SK and Hyundai -- for marijuana use. (Yonhap)