South Korea Jails Former President Lee for 15 Years on Corruption Charges

South Korea Jails Former President Lee for 15 Years on Corruption Charges
Former South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak appears for his first trial at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, on May 23, 2018. Chung Sung-Jun/Pool/Reuters
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SEOUL, South Korea—A Seoul court on Oct. 5 jailed former South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak for 15 years for corruption, making him the latest in a string of high-profile political and business leaders ensnared by graft charges.

Lee, in office from 2008 to 2013, is the fourth former South Korean president to be jailed, with his successor Park Geun-Hye imprisoned for her role in a separate corruption scandal that toppled her from power in early 2017 and also led to jail time for Samsung Group heir Jay Y. Lee.