Lee Jae-yong, the de facto head of Samsung, has been cleared of fraud charges by South Korea’s top court, concluding a lengthy legal battle over a controversial merger.

• Final verdict: The Supreme Court upheld a not guilty verdict after Lee was acquitted in two earlier trials.
• Charges dismissed: Lee faced accusations of using stock and accounting fraud in a merger deal valued at around $8 billion.
• Context: This decision comes amid ongoing scrutiny of corporate governance in South Korea's powerful chaebols.