Samsung head Lee Jae-yong on Friday denied [Korea Herald report] the bribery charges brought against him in his first court appearance before the Seoul Central District Court [official website, in Korean]. Lee was arrested in February and is accused of giving $38.2 million to an adivsor of ousted South korean President Park Geun-hye [BBC backgrounder]. In return for the alleged bribe, prosecutors argue that Park eased regulations, revised relevant corporate laws, and pressured a state agency to back a merger of Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries. The merger was supposed to ease the transition of the Samsung leadership from Lee Kun-hee to Lee Jae-yong. Samsung is the largest chaebol (family-run enterprise) in South Korea, and the outcome of Lee’s trial could have an effect [CNBC report] on the leaders of other chaebols in the country who have been accused of similar crimes.

Lee’s trial comes after the impeachment and arrest of former President Park. Park was recently arrested [JURIST report] on March 31st on charges of bribery, coercion, abuse of power, and leaking government secrets. Earlier in March, South Korea’s Constitutional Court upheld [JURIST report] parliament’s decision to impeach Park over a scandal related to government bribes paid by Samsung, which are the subject of Lee’s current trial. South Korean lawmakers voted [JURIST report] 234-56 to impeach Park in December. In February, Lee was arrested [JURIST report] on charges of bribery and undue influence in connection with the scandal. Five Samsung executives denied the charges [JURIST report] of bribery, embezzlement and corruption that were leveled against them in connection with Park. Earlier in February South Korea’s special prosecutor indicted [JURIST report] former culture minister Yoon-sun Choo and former presidential chief of staff Ki-choon Kim on charges of coercion, abuse of power and perjury connected to creation of a blacklist of opposition artists critical to Park.