Samsung heir apologizes in public for Mers spread

Lee Jae-yong, vice president of Samsung Electronics Co., speaks during a press conference at the company’s headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 23, 2015. Lee apologized to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) victims and patients in his speech as criticism mounts on Samsung Medical Center for its role in spreading the Mers. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

SEOUL, South Korea—The heir of the Samsung business group has made a deep bow in apology as criticism mounts on a Samsung hospital for its role in spreading the Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers).

Lee Jae-yong, 47, apologized to the Mers victims and patients Tuesday in his first public speech since taking over the Samsung Foundation last month. He succeeded his ailing father in leading the charity foundation that owns Samsung Medical Center.

Out of 175 MERS patients in South Korea, 85 were patients, relatives, or staff at the Samsung hospital or its visitors.

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As South Korea tried to contain the spread of the disease that killed 27, there were growing calls to investigate why authorities didn’t act early on Samsung Medical Center after a patient there was confirmed to have the Mers.