'한달새 20조 투자도 무색'... '뉴 삼성' 시작전에 위기맞나<br /><br />Earlier this week, Samsung once again announced its 16-billion U.S. dollar investment in semiconductors.<br />However, the group could take a huge hit after prosecutors request an arrest warrant for the conglomerate's de facto head, Lee Jae-yong.<br />Kim Sung-min reports. Recent developments in the investigation of Samsung Group heir and vice-chairman Lee Jae-yong are throwing the running of the conglomerate into uncertainty.<br />Prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for Lee and two of his key aides on Thursday over the controversial 2015 merger between two Samsung affiliates...Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries.<br />The prosecutors accuse Lee of illegal trading, market price manipulation, and accounting fraud at Cheil affiliate Samsung BioLogics under an act on external audit of corporation.<br />This comes just two days after Lee requested an outside review of the investigation and possible indictment... based on prosecution reforms introduced in 2018.<br />The prosecution's move comes less than a month after Samsung announced a 16-billion U.S. dollar investment in semiconductors.<br />Earlier in May and June, Samsung released its plans to build new manufacturing lines for System Semiconductors and Memory Semiconductors in Pyeongtaek.<br />Samsung's massive investment plans come as the global semiconductor industry is in a downturn, with other chipmakers forecasting poor sales in the second quarter.<br />Now, many analysts are eyeing for Samsung's second quarter earnings, which come out next month, after its relatively successful first quarter results.<br />Since 2016, Samsung's management has been in hot water over a series of fraud and corruption cases, with many of these linked to the former Park Geun-hye administration.<br />As well as Lee, more than 100 Samsung executives have been summoned for investigations over those cases.<br />While Samsung group seemed to have turned a corner after Lee's apology to the public last month and his ambition to create a "new Samsung", the current investigation could leave the company with a management vacuum.<br />The hearing for the case will be held on Monday to decide whether to issue arrest warrants for Lee.<br />And that decision will likely be out late that night or early Tuesday.<br />Kim Sung-min, Arirang News<br />
