Samsung chairman Lee Sang-hoon was sentenced to 18 months in prison for violating labor law. After the judgment in Seoul, the manager was immediately arrested and taken to prison. The crimes he committed involve the period 2012–17 when he was responsible for the group's finances. He became the Chairman of the Board in March 2018. Lee did not go to prison alone. He was accompanied by vice president Kang Kyung-hoon, who received an identical sentence.

In total, approximately 25 former and current Samsung managers were found guilty of breaking labor law. The case concerned primarily solutions made by trade union managers operating in the customer service department. Managers have been found guilty of many crimes, including gathering information about some trade union members. They collected data on the marital status of the financial situation or history of mental illnesses.

The accusation found that Samsung's managers used various tactics to discourage trade unionists from acting, including scaring the salaries of union-related employees and terminating contracts with subcontractors who were favorable to trade unions. They also collected sensitive data and used it to persuade trade unionists to leave the company and deliberately delayed negotiations with trade unions. The investigation also showed that a special group was established that developed tactics to fight the unions.