Samsung Electronics vice chairman Jay Y. Lee will be questioned by a South Korean special prosecutor's office as he is a suspect in the scandal that led to a parliamentary vote to impeach President Park Geun-hye.
Prosecutors have been looking into whether Samsung payments of about 30 billion won ($25 million) for a business and foundations backed by Park's friend, Choi Soon-sil, were connected to a 2015 decision by the national pension service to back a controversial merger of two group affiliates.
Samsung has acknowledged making contributions to two foundations as well as a consulting firm controlled by Choi. The prosecution this week summoned two senior Samsung Group officials for questioning, though they were listed as witnesses.
Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for the special prosecution team, told a briefing the Samsung leader had been summoned for questioning on Thursday, over suspicions including bribery.
Lee, 48, denied bribery accusations during a parliamentary hearing in December, rejecting assertions from lawmakers that Samsung lobbied to get the fund to vote in favor of the merger.