4 Major Groups Mention 'Lee Jae-yong Pardon'... President Moon Says "Many People Also Sympathize" (Comprehensive)

At Blue House Luncheon, President Moon Listened Attentively and Responded "I Understand Your Difficulties" When Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong Mentioned Pardon

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] On the 2nd, President Moon Jae-in stated, "Many people also sympathize," after receiving a request for a pardon of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong during a luncheon meeting with representatives of the four major conglomerates?Samsung, Hyundai Motor, SK, and LG?held at Sangchunjae in the Blue House.

President Moon had previously stated on the 10th of last month, during his special speech marking the 4th anniversary of his inauguration, in response to a question about Lee’s pardon, "I will make a judgment after sufficiently listening to many opinions from the public." His remarks at the luncheon with the four major conglomerates represent a more advanced position compared to his special anniversary speech.

Park Kyung-mi, the Blue House spokesperson, said during a briefing at the Press Center on the 2nd, "President Moon listened attentively to the request regarding Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s pardon and responded that he understands the difficulties involved."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The luncheon at the Blue House was arranged as a gesture of gratitude for the four major conglomerates’ large-scale investments in the United States during the Korea-US summit, which contributed to the success of the summit. Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo attended. Samsung was represented by Kim Ki-nam, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics Device Solutions (DS), in place of Lee Jae-yong.

Given that President Moon invited the heads of the four major conglomerates to the Blue House, there was considerable speculation that the issue of Lee’s pardon would be mentioned in some form. The mention of Lee’s pardon began through Chey Tae-won, who is also the chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Chairman Chey said, "Please consider the request made by the heads of the five economic organizations." Vice Chairman Kim Ki-nam said, "Semiconductors require decisions on large-scale investments, and having the head of the company is necessary for swift decision-making."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Another chairman added, "The next two to three years are crucial in this era of uncertainty, where we do not know what kind of crisis may come." The Blue House did not specifically disclose who the other chairman speaking about Lee’s pardon was.

A senior Blue House official explained, "President Moon said he understands the difficulties and that many people among the public sympathize as well. He also mentioned that the current economic situation is unfolding differently than before and that he is well aware that bold roles are required from companies."

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