Lee and his subordinates had carried out “a systemic scheme to take control of the Samsung Group with the least cost”, said the prosecution, by deploying “various unfair transactions”.

“We took into account the gravity of the issue, which disturbed the order of the capital market,” said Lee Bok-hyun, senior prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.

The vice-chairman’s lawyers denied the allegations in a statement, calling the indictment unjust, but said the defendants will “conscientiously participate” in a trial.

Samsung Electronics is the flagship subsidiary of the group, which was founded by Lee’s grandfather and has grown to become by far the biggest of the family-controlled conglomerates, or chaebol, that dominate business in the world’s 12th-largest economy.

Its overall turnover is equivalent to a fifth of South Korea’s gross domestic product and is crucial to the country’s economic health.

The firm saw profits rise in April-July with data centres moving to stockpile its DRAM chips to meet surging demand for online activities as a result of global lockdowns.

Lee was jailed for five years in 2017 after being found guilty of bribery and other offences linked to former president Park, before being cleared on appeal and released a year later. That case is currently being retried.

Lee apologised in May over the issues, pledging to ensure “there will be no more controversy over the succession” and that he would not allow his children to take over from him at the firm.

“Our technology and products are being hailed as first-class but the public gaze towards Samsung still remains harsh,” he said, bowing to the cameras. “This is my fault. I apologise.”