| CJ Chairman Lee Jay-hyun, in a wheelchair, moves to a courtroom at the Seoul Central District Court, southern Seoul, on Sept. 12, 2014. He was indicted on charges of embezzlement, breach of duty and tax evasion. / Yonhap |
"As our chairman (Lee Jay-hyun) has been under treatment following an operation two years ago at the Seoul National University Hospital, his residence is the hospital. So the chairman made the request as the funeral takes place in the same hospital for seven days from Aug. 18," a CJ spokeswoman said.
Late Monday, CJ said the court accepted the chairman's request.
Lee Jay-hyun underwent kidney transplant surgery in 2013 while he was at the bar in the Supreme Court after being arrested on charges of embezzlement and other malpractices. He asked for suspension of execution of custody because of his deteriorating health. The court accepted his request, CJ Group said.
Since then, he was only allowed to stay at the main building of the hospital as the court ruling has yet to come relative to his charges, the food-to-entertainment conglomerate said.
"As the building where the funeral takes place has a different address even inside the hospital, Lee Jay-hyun has sought an approval to attend the funeral from the court," the spokeswoman said.
Lee Maeng-hee, 84, died of lung cancer at a Beijing hospital on Friday. In 2012, he sued his younger brother Lee Gun-hee, claiming a 4.1 trillion won ($3.5 billion) stake in Samsung Electronics and Samsung Life Insurance, two flagship units of Samsung Group, in one of the country's biggest family feuds.
He gave up seeking a Supreme Court ruling after losing the court battle twice.
Lee Kun-hee, 73, has been hospitalized following a heart attack for more than a year. Their late father Lee Byung-chull founded what is today's biggest conglomerate by assets.