Lee Jae-yong, the imprisoned de facto leader of Samsung Group, underwent surgery for appendicitis, officials here said Saturday, according to Yonhap News.

Lee, the vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., was transferred to Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul and received the surgery on Friday night due to a ruptured appendix, the report said.

In January, the 52-year-old tycoon was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in a retrial of a bribery case involving former President Park Geun-hye. Since then, he has been staying at Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, south of Seoul. (From news report)