<Anchor> This is a
friendly economic time. Today (9th), I will be with reporter Kim Hye-min. Today, there is a committee to decide whether or not to review Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong's parole. As the committee is being held, are the requirements for the parole review of Vice Chairman Lee satisfied?
<Reporter> In
fact, the standards for parole have been slightly different from those of the law. According to the Criminal Code, those sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment, such as Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, had to fulfill at least a third of their sentences to be eligible for parole.
However, the Ministry of Justice has traditionally only granted parole to those who served more than 80% of their sentences. However, it was recently lowered to 60% of the parole screening criteria.
Vice Chairman Lee, who served 60% of his sentence at the end of last month, was also subject to parole review. Parole is usually granted once a month, but the Ministry of Justice has set the policy to coincide with Liberation Day this August.
So, if you are finally selected for parole after going through today's parole judging committee, it's this Friday. Released on the morning of the 13th.
<Anchor> That's
right. So, I'm a bit curious about the parole process. How is it?
<Reporter>
First, there is a preliminary examination for parole by each correctional facility, and Vice Chairman Lee has already passed this. The next process is the eligibility review of the Parole Review Committee, which is held today.
Eligibility for parole is decided through a vote by the judging committee, and a majority vote of the members is required.
The members of the parole review committee are chaired by Kang Seong-guk, the Vice Minister of Justice. In addition, the head of the Prosecutor's Office and the head of the corrections headquarters are ex officio members.
The outside committee consists of five members, including the chief judge of the Seoul High Court, a lawyer, and three university professors. At the earliest, you can see what decisions are being made here today. Finally, he will be released on parole with the final approval of Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye.
<Anchor>
Looking at the current situation, it seems that the weight is shifting towards the parole of Vice Chairman Lee, but I think we will have to wait for the final result. Then let's say that vice-president Lee is released on parole. Then, as soon as you get out of parole, can you return to work and start business?
<Reporter> Not
necessarily. It's possible with a pardon. Parole is a bit difficult. Parole is a 'conditional release' in which a person is temporarily released under the condition that he/she does not commit a second offense for the remainder of his/her sentence.
In principle, it is not easy to return to the management field as the employment restrictions imposed on Vice Chairman Lee remain in effect.
Also, due to parole status, overseas business trips are restricted. Approval will be denied only when the purpose of departure is clear.
In addition to this, another legal risk for Vice Chairman Lee remains. As the case related to the merger between Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries is in the first trial, I have to appear in court every Thursday.
He is also currently charged with illegal use of propofol. A formal trial in this case will also be held from the 19th of this month.
Therefore, even if Vice Chairman Lee is released on parole, it is expected that it will be difficult to fully concentrate on business activities.
<Anchor>
Reporter Kim By the way, some say that the parole of Vice Chairman Lee is necessary for our economy, but there are also a lot of voices against it.
<Reporter> There
is strong opposition from civic groups. Recently, 1,56 civil society groups, including the Solidarity for Participation and KCTU, have opposed Lee's parole.
“The parole of Vice Chairman Lee is to deny the existence of the Moon Jae-in government.” In addition, the parole of Vice Chairman Lee could undue influence on the ongoing trial. Vice Chairman Lee and Samsung's corporate activities should be viewed separately.
In fact, the stock market believes that if Vice Chairman Lee is released on parole, it will be an issue that will attract attention for a day or two, but it is difficult for the stock price to rise significantly.
The reason Samsung Electronics' stock price is not rising is because there are still concerns about the semiconductor industry and earnings next year, which has little to do with whether Vice Chairman Lee will return to business.
In addition, the economy is expected to slow in the third quarter as the corona virus is again prevalent. There are likely to be many individual investors who own Samsung Electronics stocks or those who want to invest again, but you should be cautious about buying with high expectations for the possibility of Vice Chairman Lee's return.