"Dismissal of Court Warrant is a Victory for Lee Jae-yong," Foreign Media Urgently Reports

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] "The court's recent decision is a victory for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong." (Bloomberg News)

When the arrest warrant requested by the prosecution for Vice Chairman Lee was dismissed in the early hours of the 9th, major foreign media outlets urgently reported the news, showing great interest.

Bloomberg News evaluated the court's dismissal of the arrest warrant as a victory for Vice Chairman Lee, stating, "Samsung is fighting not only for Lee's freedom (non-detention) but also for the company's honor."

The news agency further explained, "The allegation that Samsung used bribes to gain government favor so that one of Korea's richest men (Lee Jae-yong) could take control of his family's company was so explosive that public opinion toward Korean conglomerates worsened and even shook Korea's political balance."

Foreign media focused on the fact that the investigation into Vice Chairman Lee began with the state affairs manipulation scandal and that the 'judicial risk' has been prolonged excessively.

The U.S. Wall Street Journal, citing Professor Jang Se-jin of the National University of Singapore, said, "It is very unusual for the prosecution's offensive to continue for years as in this case," and predicted that the retrial of the bribery case related to the state affairs manipulation, which previously resulted in a guilty verdict, and the illegal acts during the merger process for which the arrest warrant was requested this time will continue until next year.

It added, "For the past three years, the company has been almost paralyzed due to Vice Chairman Lee's legal issues," and judged, "The judicial risk will be a significant burden for Lee and Samsung, who must navigate the uncertainties of the global economy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic."

AFP News pointed out, "Although the merger case is different from the ongoing (bribery) trial, it adds difficulties for Samsung, a conglomerate that dominates the industry of the world's 12th largest economy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.