Samsung's Lee appears at trial ahead of parole release

A day before he is released on parole, Samsung scion Lee Jae-yong has appeared in a South Korean court for another trial

SEOUL, South Korea -- A day ahead of his release on parole, Samsung scion Lee Jae-yong appeared in a South Korean court Thursday for another trial over alleged financial crimes — a reminder of his looming legal risks even as he leaves prison. The Justice Ministry earlier this week decided to free Lee and some 800 other prisoners on Friday, ahead of a holiday on Sunday celebrating Korea’s independence from Japanese colonial rule at the end of World War II. Lee had a year left on 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 that tightened his control over the corporate empire. The case was part of a corruption scandal that eventually ousted Park, who was jailed in 2017 and won’t be released until 2039 if she fully serves her sentence.