Lee freed on parole, showing Samsung's might in South Korea
The Hindu
Lee served a total of 18 months of a 30-month sentence for embezzling millions of dollars from corporate funds to bribe South Korea's previous president, Park Geun-hye, to ensure government support for a 2015 merger between two Samsung affiliates
Samsung leader Lee Jae-yong walked out of prison Friday a year early in a parole decision demonstrating the conglomerate's outsized influence in South Korea as well as continuing leniency for bosses who commit corporate corruption. Wearing a gray suit and a mask, Lee stepped out of the gates at the prison near Seoul and bowed in apology over the anger he had caused over his case, which was related to the explosive corruption scandal that toppled South Korea's previous president in 2017. Hundreds of demonstrators standing behind police lines simultaneously shouted slogans denouncing or welcoming his release.More Related News