Samsung Group's leader, Lee Jae-yong, was sent to jail a few months ago on bribery charges. However, it was being speculated that he may be pardoned by the South Korean president sometime in August. Now, it is being reported that Lee has been granted parole, which means that he will soon be released from jail.
Lee Jae-yong will reportedly be released from the Seoul Detention Center at 10 AM on Friday (August 13). However, his freedom could be short-lived as he is fighting two more criminal cases. He was allegedly involved in accounting fraud and other offenses during the merger of Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T. He is also facing charges related to the use of anesthetic propofol without a prescription.
If Lee receives a prison sentence in any of the two other cases, his parole will be canceled. However, a law is being revised in South Korea, and that could prevent the cancellation of his parole. Under the upcoming revision, parole will only be canceled if someone commits a crime after receiving parole.
A possibility of parole for Samsung's jailed Vice Chairman was hotly debated. Various US firms, high-placed Buddhist monks in South Korea, and even the South Korean public from all age groups requested that Lee should be pardoned and released from jail. However, some civic groups and leader unions said that Lee shouldn't be released from jail.
