Lee Jae-yong's Request for 'Investigation Deliberation Committee' Convening to Be Decided Today... Sub-Deliberation Committee Meeting Held

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

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The decision on whether to hold the Prosecution Investigation Deliberation Committee (hereafter Investigation Deliberation Committee), convened at the request of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong (52) and others, will be made on the 11th.

The Sub-Deliberation Committee (hereafter Sub-Deliberation Committee), composed of citizen prosecutors from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, will hold a meeting in the afternoon to decide whether to refer the case involving Vice Chairman Lee and others to the Investigation Deliberation Committee for review.

Earlier, Vice Chairman Lee, former Samsung Future Strategy Office Strategy Team Leader Kim Jong-jung (64), and Samsung C&T applied to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Citizen Prosecutors' Committee on the 3rd, requesting the convening of the Investigation Deliberation Committee to "review the appropriateness of prosecution." It is known that Choi Ji-sung (69), former head of the Future Strategy Office, who was recently subject to an arrest warrant request along with Vice Chairman Lee, did not apply for the convening of the Investigation Deliberation Committee.

The committee members will conduct a closed meeting based on 120 pages of written opinions submitted by both Samsung’s three representatives and the prosecution, each submitting 30 pages, and then decide whether to refer the case to the Investigation Deliberation Committee. Unlike the Investigation Deliberation Committee, the Sub-Deliberation Committee does not allow oral statements.

If the referral to the Investigation Deliberation Committee is approved by a majority of attending members, a request for convening the Investigation Deliberation Committee will be sent to Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl through the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Policy Planning Division.

The Prosecutor General must convene the Investigation Deliberation Committee if a request for convening is made. The results of the deliberation are expected to be disclosed late in the afternoon.

The prosecution reportedly emphasized in their written opinion that there is no need to convene the Investigation Deliberation Committee to decide on prosecution.

Vice Chairman Lee’s side is known to have highlighted in their written opinion that this case falls under the scope of the Investigation Deliberation Committee’s review.

During the meeting, opinions regarding the intent of the court’s decision to dismiss the arrest warrant, which was previously rejected, are also expected to be exchanged.

The prosecution interprets the dismissal as meaning that the criminal facts have been established and therefore prosecution and trial should naturally proceed, whereas Samsung’s side argues that only the basic facts have been established, but the criminal charges have not been proven, showing completely opposing positions.

In the legal community, given that the arrest warrant requested by the prosecution was dismissed, the prevailing view is that most committee members will likely recommend referring the case to the Investigation Deliberation Committee for review.

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