President Moon says he ‘understands hardship’ regarding Samsung chief’s pardon

Jun 03, 2021, 06:22 am

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President Moon Jae-in talks with the leaders of South Korea’s top four conglomerates at Sangchunjae guesthouse inside Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on June 2, 2021. From left are LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Kim Ki-nam./ Source: Yonhap

AsiaToday reporter Lee Wook-jae

President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday that he ‘understands hardship’ regarding business leaders’ request for presidential pardon for imprisoned Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong.

Moon made the remarks during a luncheon meeting with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Kim Ki-nam held at the Sangchunjae guesthouse inside the Cheong Wa Dae compound.

The luncheon was prepared by the president to express gratitude to the nation’s top four conglomerates which announced plans to invest $40 billion during Moon’s visit to the U.S. for Moon-Biden summit. This is the first time that Moon invited the heads of the top four chaebol to the presidential office together.

As Samsung Electronics had earlier announced its plan to spend $17 billion to build a new foundry chip manufacturing plant, many observers expected that the business leaders would ask Moon to grant a special pardon to the Samsung chief during the meeting.

According to a key official at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, SK Chairman Chey, who heads the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), asked Moon to review the recent request by Korea’s business lobby groups. Previously, Chey had delivered a joint petition by five major local business lobby groups including the KCCI, to Cheong Wa Dae asking for Lee’s pardon.

“Semiconductors require major investment decisions, and a head is needed for swift decisions,” said Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Kim Ki-nam. Other business leaders who attended the meeting indirectly asked for Lee’s pardon, saying the next two to three years are important in an era of uncertainty.

In response, Moon said he understands hardship and knows that many Koreans agree with the idea. He also said he was aware of the facts that the economic situation is developing far different from the past, and companies are required to make bold decisions.

Observers say there is a possibility for Lee’s pardon as Moon kept an open mind about the issue. August 15, or Liberation Day, has been named a possible date for Lee’s pardon.

Separately, Moon praised the companies for their efforts, saying, “Without the companies’ advanced decisions, there would be no today.”

“The results of the South Korea-U.S. summit talks were quite good thanks to participation by the four groups in the U.S. trip,” Moon said. “The scope of the relationship between the two countries has expanded further,” he said. “The four major groups played a big role in helping our economy recover quickly from the COVID-19 crisis and take another leap forward.”

#Moon Jae-in #Lee Jae-yong #SK Group #Hyundai Motor #LG Group