Samsung chairman undergoing rehabilitation: group

Samsung Group said Sunday its chairman Lee Kun-hee is in stable recovery and undergoing rehabilitation six months into his hospitalization.

"(The chairman's) bodily functions, including cardiac function, have recovered to normal and are in stable condition. (He is) awake 15-19 hours a day and is receiving rehabilitation such as wheelchair exercise," the group said.

Samsung's remark is the latest update from a month earlier, when group chief of communications Lee Jun confirmed that an elevator was installed at Lee's home "to cope with diverse possibilities," including his return home.

Lee, the de facto head of Samsung Group, was rushed to a hospital near his home in Seoul on May 10 after experiencing difficulty breathing and later confirmed to have suffered a heart attack. The 72-year-old was transferred to Samsung Medical Center the next morning, where he underwent a procedure to widen his blood vessels.

The chairman was put on hypothermia treatment until the end of May. Doctors said the treatment was based on his age and medical history, which includes lung surgery in the late 1990s and respiratory complications. (Yonhap)