nnSouth Korea’s Supreme Court has cleared Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong of fraud charges, upholding earlier acquittals in a decade-long legal battle. The ruling confirms the 2024 lower court decision that found insufficient evidence for stock manipulation and accounting fraud allegations related to a $8 billion 2015 merger. Prosecutors had sought a five-year prison term, arguing the merger strengthened Lee’s control over Samsung. This final verdict removes legal uncertainty around Samsung’s leadership amid intense global competition. Lee, grandson of Samsung’s founder, had previously served jail time in a separate bribery case before receiving a presidential pardon.