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How Samsung’s Lee Jae-yong used an unusual option to undercut corruption case
- The 52-year-old, also known as Jay Y. Lee, was first charged with bribery and corruption in early 2017, kicking off a years-long dispute
- He was found guilty but then freed in a controversial decision that has since been reversed, prompting him to invoke the rarely used review panel option
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Cooped up within a large conference room on the 15th floor of government offices in downtown Seoul, 13 South Korean citizens sparred for nine hours over the country’s most contentious issue: the legal fate of Samsung heir apparent Jay Y. Lee, otherwise known as Lee Jae-yong.
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The all-male group – including professors, schoolteachers and two Buddhist monks – gathered on Friday after Lee invoked a rarely used option to have a civilian panel review legal cases. They heard arguments for and against indicting the billionaire on allegations of financial fraud. They then debated among themselves for another two hours before deciding to try a secret ballot to break the impasse.
The outcome – 10 against an indictment and just three for – stunned panel members themselves.
“We were all quite surprised,” one of the members said, asking not to be named since he wasn’t authorised to talk about their discussions. “We had a heated debate but not every member exposed their thinking. It was really hard to tell.”
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The decision, while not legally binding, hands an important victory to Samsung and its de facto leader, who gambled on the little-known system to undercut the government’s case and showcase support for South Korea’s largest corporation.
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