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Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong heads to his third trial on charges of bribery and corruption at the Seoul High Court on Feb. 6. (Kang Chang-kwang, staff photographer)

The watchdog media agency News Tapa acquired a recording of a phone conversation that corroborates reports that Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong routinely received propofol injections at his home in Seoul’s Hannam neighborhood.

The recording released by News Tapa on Feb. 14 consisted of three conversations over the course of Aug. 26 and 27 of last year between the director of a plastic surgery clinic in Seoul’s Sinsa neighborhood and a nurse’s aide serving as a department head for the clinic.

According to the News Tapa, the director mentioned Lee by name in a conversation on Aug. 26, admonishing the nurse’s aide for visiting Lee’s home and administering propofol without her knowledge. The director also told the nurse’s aide that she would cover up the events to date and instructed the aide not to visit Lee’s home to administer any further medications.

The nurse’s aide initially denied the actions, but effectively admitted to them in a telephone conversation the following day, explaining that she needed the money because of family problems. During the dialogue, the director said, “I’m tired too. I’m sick of being a doctor. Go to jail and get some rest.” Based on the conversation between the two, the medications used by Lee amounted to “five boxes.”

On Feb. 13, News Tapa reported evidence indicating that Lee had routinely taken propofol between 2017 and 2018, citing a public interest disclosure report by the boyfriend of the nurse’s aide. Prosecutors have taken over the case from the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and have assigned it to the major crime division of Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office under director Kim Ho-sam. The telephone conversation records released on Feb. 14 were also reportedly passed along to the prosecutors.

Following the report, a Samsung Electronics executive denied the allegations, stressing, “This was a conversation between a clinic director and a nurse’s aide, not a conversation with Lee Jae-yong.”

“There were house calls paid, but nothing illegal took place,” the executive said. The executive reiterated claims from the day before that while Lee was forced to receive treatment at home because of his personal situation, he did not take any illegal medications.

By Choi Woo-ri and Song Gyung-hwa, staff reporters

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