The chairman of Samsung Electronics Co's board was convicted of violating South Korean labor union laws and sentenced to 18 months in jail, the latest legal challenge for the global technology giant.

Axar.az reports citing MarketWatch that a Seoul court ruled Tuesday that Lee Sang-hoon, 64, who served as Samsung Electronics' chief financial officer before becoming chairman of the board two years ago, had violated labor laws by disrupting union activities at Samsung in recent years. Some 24 current and former Samsung officials and others involved in the case were also found guilty on similar charges.