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| President Moon Jae-in, second from right, speaks during a roundtable meeting with Korean and U.S. business leaders at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C., May 21. Yonhap |
By Yi Whan-woo
Observers are paying attention to a luncheon meeting, Wednesday, between President Moon Jae-in and the leaders of the country’s “top four” conglomerates, over whether the President will drop a hint on pardoning or paroling imprisoned Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong.
The meeting is the first in Moon’s final year in office, and will be participated in by Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisung, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Kim Ki-nam.
Expectations for a “special measure” are high as the four groups contributed to the successful May 21 summit between Moon and his U.S. counterpart President Joe Biden by pledging massive investments in the semiconductor, electric vehicle battery and automobile sectors in America.
“Under the circumstance, there’s a fair chance that the release of Lee, in the form of either a pardon or on parole, will be brought up during the luncheon,” commented Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University. He noted that Moon personally has been open to releasing Lee, as seen in his remarks during a nationally-televised press conference, May 10, when he said he would take into account the public consensus regarding the Samsung chief.
Just before Moon’s summit with Biden, Samsung, Hyundai, LG and SK pledged to invest a combined $39.45 billion in the U.S. economy, prompting Biden to openly express his gratitude at the White House summit.
Samsung’s $17 billion investment plan for a semiconductor facility was especially prominent in Biden’s proposed roadmap to rebuild American manufacturing and to establish a U.S.-led global supply chain for high-tech industries. Moon accordingly noted that the summit “could not get any better” in consolidating the countries’ bilateral alliance.
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| Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has been serving a two-and-a-half year prison term since January after being found guilty in a corruption trial involving former President Park Geun-hye who is also imprisoned. Korea Times file |
Lee has been serving a two-and-a-half year prison term since January after being found guilty in a corruption trial involving former President Park Geun-hye who is also imprisoned.
After Moon’s return to Seoul, senior secretary for economic affairs Lee Ho-seung added to the speculation over the possible pardoning of the Samsung chief, saying, “There will be a special consideration for Lee.” The leaders of business lobbies and religious groups have also separately called for his release.
“I bet the President is dying for one of the luncheon guests to raise the issue,” professor Shin said.
Noting Moon’s drive since he took power to root out “bad practices” at conglomerates, political sources have said the President may opt to release Lee on parole, possibly on the Aug. 15 Liberation Day. They added that a possible pardon could spark a political debate over objectivity concerning two imprisoned presidents, Moon’s predecessors Lee Myung-bak and Park, who were convicted in separate corruption trials.
“Granting a pardon exclusively for Lee is risky, as it could trigger a backlash from Moon’s left-leaning supporters as well as conservatives who are loyal to the two former presidents,” said political analyst Yoo Chang-sun.
Shin agreed, noting the presidential election is scheduled for next year.
But some sources voiced a different view, arguing a pardon may be preferable for Lee to resume his work once he gets out of prison.
Under the law, Lee will be able to work immediately if he is granted a pardon, but will be restricted from doing so if he is released on parole.
“Normal and unrestrained management activities is certainly what Lee and Samsung want, and a pardon is the ideal decision they are looking for from Cheong Wa Dae,” a source said.
But some sources in the sporting world said a pardon may be possible, as seen in the case of Lee’s late father and former Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee. In the 2000s, the elder Lee was given a special pardon by then-President Lee Myung-bak four months after he was sentenced to a suspended jail term for corruption.
The pardon was granted under expectations that as an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member at the time, he would help Korea win a bid for its first ever Winter Olympics in 2018.
Similarly, Moon hopes for a first-ever Summer Olympics to be “co-hosted by the two Koreas” in 2032. The plan was unveiled during Moon’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang in September 2018 when cross-border relations were more relaxed.
According to the sources, the IOC is positive about an idea of Lee Jae-yong succeeding his late father as a new IOC member.
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