For most of Moon Jae-in’s presidency, the prosecution of Samsung Group’s de facto leader was the clearest evidence he could cite to show South Korea was rolling back preferential treatment for the country’s powerful tycoon class. Now, he’s considering whether to free Jay Y. Lee from jail in a decision that could shape his final year in office.
The dramatic reversal reflects South Korea’s claustrophobic politics, where government leaders and big business are so dependent on each other that favoritism can trump the law. Polls show almost seven in 10 South Koreans now support a pardon for the vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co. as the country tries to navigate an end to the coronavirus pandemic and a crisis in the crucial semiconductor industry.
Lee, 52, was convicted of using bribery and corruption to take control of Samsung, and for years there was little prospect of leniency. That began to change when he was sent to jail earlier this year for a second stint.