SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- The former chairman of South Korea's Samsung Group appealed his conviction for tax evasion, days after prosecutors filed a similar appeal, a Samsung official said Wednesday.
Ex-Chairman Lee Kun-hee's office filed the appeal to the Seoul Central District Court, said Erin Lee, a Samsung official.
Lee Kun-hee, one of the country's richest men and an iconic business figure, was convicted earlier this month for not paying about 47 billion won ($46 million) in taxes and ordered to pay a fine of 110 billion won ($108 million).
However, he was spared prison time even though tax evasion carries a possible sentence of up to life.
The court also said there was not enough evidence to convict Lee for breach of trust charges, which stemmed from allegations of dubious financial transactions to transfer corporate control to his son.
Last week, special prosecutors appealed the court's ruling to acquit Lee on breach of trust charges and suspend his prison sentence.
The 66-year-old Lee, who led Samsung for two decades as it grew into one of South Korea's most prominent global brands, stepped down in April after his indictment.
