Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong granted special presidential pardon

Politics

Published: 12 Aug. 2022, 11:48 Updated: 12 Aug. 2022, 14:00

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong granted special presidential pardon

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong heads to Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Thursday. [NEWS1]

President Yoon Suk-yeol granted pardons to Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon announced Friday.

They are Yoon’s first pardons. None was give to politicians, including former president Lee Myung-bak and former South Gyeongsang Governor Kim Kyung-soo.

At 11:10 a.m. Friday, Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon held a briefing at the Government Complex Seoul and announced 1,693 pardons, which go into effect on Liberation Day, or Aug. 15. The pardoned included tycoons, small business owners and union figures.

Han explained that in order to revitalize the economy, the top businessmen were pardoned including Samsung's Lee, Lotte's Shin, Chairman of Dongkuk Steel Mill Chang Sae-joo and former STX Group Chairman Kang Duk-soo.

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin in attendance during an event at the National Assembly to celebrate Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration in May 2022. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Also included on the pardons list are Cho Sang-soo, former leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Union’s public transport guild, Kwon Heo, standing vice chairman of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, and Han Young-seuk, CEO of Hyundai Heavy Industries.

Also on Friday, the government implemented special reductions or exemptions to administrative sanctions on a total of 593,509 people in the construction industry, private transport businesses, the real estate industry and the fishing industry. The government announced that 649 prisoners will be paroled for good behavior.

Prior to Han’s announcement, Yoon held a brief question and answers session with the press on his way to work Friday and commented on the pardons.

“The pardons have been focused on improving people’s livelihoods and economic recovery above all else,” said Yoon. “The most important thing is the livelihoods of the people, and the government should take care of that.”

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]