Lee Jae-yong Escapes Imprisonment Risk... Now All Eyes on the 'Investigation Deliberation Committee'

Court: "Insufficient Grounds for Detention"
Prosecution: "Regret Over Dismissal but Will Ensure Thorough Investigation"
Samsung's Legal Team: "Expecting Strict Review in Investigation Deliberation Process"
Bloomberg: "Victory for Vice Chairman Lee" - Foreign Media Also Urgently Report

Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics, who is under prosecution investigation for allegations of unfair succession of management rights related to the merger of the former Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries, as well as allegations of accounting fraud at Samsung Biologics, is entering the courtroom to attend the warrant hearing held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 8th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporters Hyewon Kim, Hyungmin Kim] Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics (52), has escaped the risk of detention.

On the 9th at 2 a.m., Judge Won Jeong-sook, in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, dismissed all detention warrant requests filed by the prosecution against Vice Chairman Lee, former Samsung Future Strategy Office Chief Choi Ji-sung (69), and former Future Strategy Office Strategy Team Leader Kim Jong-joong (64).

Judge Won stated, "The basic facts have been established, and it appears that the prosecution has already secured a considerable amount of evidence through their investigation," but added, "There is insufficient evidence to justify the necessity and appropriateness of detaining the suspects, which goes against the principle of non-detention trial." He further noted, "Considering the importance of this case, it is reasonable to determine the suspects' responsibility and its extent through thorough debate and examination during the trial process."

The pre-detention suspect interrogation (warrant substantive examination) for Vice Chairman Lee and others began at 10:30 a.m. the previous day and ended around 7 p.m. after 8 hours and 30 minutes. This is close to the record for the longest examination, which was 8 hours and 40 minutes for former President Park Geun-hye.

The prosecution expressed regret over the court's dismissal decision, stating, "Regardless of the warrant trial outcome, the prosecution will thoroughly pursue the investigation in accordance with law and principles." Samsung's legal team said, "We hope that the continuation of the investigation and the decision on prosecution will be determined through a strict review process in the upcoming Prosecutorial Investigation Deliberation Committee." After completing the warrant substantive examination and waiting at Seoul Detention Center, Vice Chairman Lee went home immediately following the dismissal decision.

Attention now turns to the 'Prosecutorial Investigation Deliberation Committee' that Vice Chairman Lee's side requested to convene on the 2nd, seeking external experts' judgment on the appropriateness of prosecution. The prosecution will hold a sub-deliberation committee meeting on the 11th to decide whether to convene the Investigation Deliberation Committee. If the sub-deliberation committee decides to convene it, the Prosecutor General will convene the Investigation Deliberation Committee.

Samsung, which holds the position that it cannot accept the prosecution of Vice Chairman Lee itself, plans to clarify the allegations and seek a non-prosecution disposition through the Investigation Deliberation Committee process. Although the committee's decision on prosecution is only advisory, it is widely expected that the prosecution will accept the decision since the committee is an institution introduced as part of the prosecution's own reform plan. Some expect that the Investigation Deliberation Committee will recommend non-prosecution, given that the court dismissed the detention warrant request yesterday, citing that beyond the basic facts, the criminal charges were not sufficiently established.

Meanwhile, major foreign media outlets urgently reported on the prolonged investigation of Vice Chairman Lee, which began with the state affairs manipulation case. Bloomberg News reported, "Samsung is fighting not only for Vice Chairman Lee's freedom (non-detention) but also for the company's honor," calling the court's decision a victory for Lee. The U.S. Wall Street Journal quoted Professor Jaejin Jang of the National University of Singapore, saying, "It is very unusual for the prosecution's offensive to continue for years as in this case," and assessed, "The judicial risk extended to Vice Chairman Lee and Samsung, who must navigate the global economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, will be a significant burden."

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