Samsung Electronics boss indicted on charges of union sabotage

  Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Sang-hoon has been indicted by South Korean authorities as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged workers' union sabotage.

Lee, who entered the role in March, will appear in court alongside 27 other senior executives from Samsung and its affiliates later this year.

The news comes after Samsung's vice chairman, Lee Jae-yong, was released from prison on a suspended sentence earlier this year on corruption charges, related to the case against South Korea's impeached former President Park Geun-hye.

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Prosecutors told reporters earlier today that Lee Sang-hoon has been charged with leading a scheme to sabotage a newly-formed labour union at Samsung while he was the firm's chief financial officer in 2013.

They claim Samsung has perpetuated an ongoing policy of refusing to cooperate with unions in South Korea. Allegedly, less than 300 of Samsung's 200,000 employees are members of workers' unions in the country.

Tactics utilised by Samsung executives included threats to cease doing business with firms associated with unions, prosecutors said, and wage cuts for employees who sought membership or could be linked to unions.

Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.