The de facto head of Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest smartphone maker¹, is to be interrogated² as a suspect in the corruption³ case roiling⁴ South Korea.

全球最大智能手机制造商三星电子(Samsung Electronics)实际掌门人将以一桩搅乱韩国的贿赂案嫌疑人的身份接受检方讯问。

Lee Jae-yong, vice-chairman and heir apparent of the Samsung group, has been summoned to appear for questioning today over suspicions of bribery⁵, the special prosecutors⁶’ office said yesterday.

韩国特别检察官办公室昨日表示，三星集团副董事长、推定继承人李在镕(Lee Jae-yong)已被传唤，将于今日就涉嫌行贿一事接受讯问。

The office did not elaborate and the company declined to comment.

该办公室没有透露具体内容，三星也拒绝置评。

It is a blow to Samsung, which has been seeking to close the door on a tumultuous 2016.

这对三星是一个打击，此前该公司希望告别动荡不安的2016年。

Mr Lee is the first South Korean corporate⁷ leader to be treated as a suspect in an influence-peddling scandal that has ensnared President Park Geun-hye. Ms Park was impeached⁸ by parliament in December following weeks of outrage⁹ and mass demonstrations¹⁰ amid allegations she had fallen under the influence of a “shaman adviser¹¹”.

在让韩国总统朴槿惠(Park Geun-hye)陷入困境的以权谋私丑闻中，李在镕是首位被列为嫌疑人的韩国企业领袖。朴槿惠被指受到一位“萨满顾问”的影响，在数周的愤怒和大规模示威活动之后，去年12月，朴槿惠遭到国会弹劾。

Prosecutors claim Choi Soon-sil used her relationship with the president to press top South Korean companies including Samsung into donating millions of dollars to foundations under her control.

检察官指控称，崔顺实(Choi Soon-sil)利用与总统的关系，向三星等韩国大企业施压，要求它们向崔顺实控制的基金会捐赠数百万美元。

Prosecutors are probing whether the country’s biggest conglomerate¹² made the alleged¹³ payments to secure backing for a contentious¹⁴ merger¹⁵ between two Samsung affiliates¹⁶ last year.

检察官正在调查这家韩国最大综合企业是否做出了上述捐赠，以确保去年三星旗下两家公司备受质疑的合并获得放行。

That deal was crucial for Mr Lee to secure his grip on Samsung Electronics, and has drawn¹⁷ criticism that it benefited the founding family unfairly at the expense of minority shareholders¹⁸.

那笔交易对于李在镕获得三星电子控制权至关重要，还引发批评：该交易牺牲了少数股东的利益，让创始家族不公平受益。

Mr Lee denies the merger was linked to his succession.

李在镕否认这笔合并交易与他接班有关。

The summons “is likely to put the brakes on Samsung’s plans for this year”, said Park Joo-geun, head of CEO Score, a corporate watchdog, “as an arrest warrant could be possible after the investigation²⁰ tomorrow”.

企业监督机构CEO Score负责人Park Joo-geun表示，传唤李在镕“可能会导致三星今年的计划被搁置……因为在明日调查结束后，检方可能会发出逮捕令”。

It is also likely to hinder the company’s attempts to reform its corporate governance structure, Mr Park added.

他表示，这还很可能会阻碍三星改革其公司治理结构的计划。

In December, the heads of South Korea’s biggest conglomerates²¹ were hauled before parliament for a rare televised interrogation by lawmakers over the scandal.

去年12月，韩国各大综合企业的负责人被迫因这起丑闻出席国会听证会，罕见接受国会议员的电视直播质询。

During questioning, Mr Lee admitted making donations to foundations controlled by Ms Choi, but denied seeking or receiving political favours in return.

在接受质询期间，李在镕承认曾向崔顺实控制的基金会捐款，但否认借此寻求或者得到了政治恩惠。

The on-air grilling²² capped a difficult year for the company, which began with a profit warning and shareholder¹⁹ tension and plumbed²³ new depths with the $6bn recall and eventual²⁴ termination of its Galaxy²⁵ Note 7 smartphone.

电视直播的质询给三星艰难的一年划上句号，起初是利润预警和股东关系紧张，后来智能手机Galaxy Note 7的60亿美元召回以及最终下架加剧了三星的困境。