Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - On Wednesday, the vice chairman of Samsung Electronics , the largest manufacturer of memory chips in the...
 |
| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - On Wednesday, the vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, the largest manufacturer of memory chips in the world, Jay Y. Lee, was told by South Korea's prime minister that he would suggest a pardon to the country's president.
After being found guilty of bribery and embezzlement in January of last year, Lee, the heir to the second-largest contract chip manufacturer in the world, received release in August after completing 18 months of a 30-month sentence.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said he would in response to an inquiry in the legislature on whether he would suggest that President Yoon Suk-yeol review pardons for significant corporate figures, including Lee.
If Yoon concurs, the pardon might be granted on August 15, the day of South Korea's Independence Day, which is customarily when they are granted.
Such a pardon would primarily be symbolic given that Lee's prison sentence is scheduled to finish on Friday, but it would allow the tycoon to conduct business more freely.
Yoon declined to answer to questions from journalists last week about the subject.
Key decisions made by Samsung since Lee's release from prison include choosing Texas as the U.S. location for a new $17 billion chip facility, merging its mobile and consumer electronics divisions, and appointing new co-CEOs in its largest leadership transition since 2017.
Regarding a $8 billion merger of two Samsung companies in 2015, Lee is still being tried separately on charges of accounting fraud.
