Ministry of Justice to Hold Parole Review Committee Today... Focus on Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong's Decision

Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong of Samsung Electronics. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] The Ministry of Justice will hold a parole review committee meeting on the afternoon of the 9th. Attention is focused on whether Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics, included in this parole review, will be released on parole.

The Ministry of Justice will hold a closed parole review committee meeting at 2 p.m. at the Government Gwacheon Building to discuss the eligibility of the candidates for parole.

According to Article 119 of the Act on the Execution of Sentences and Treatment of Prisoners (Execution Act), the parole review committee, which examines the eligibility for parole, is established under the Minister of Justice.

According to Article 120 of the same law, the parole review committee (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) consists of five to nine members including the chairperson, with the Vice Minister of Justice serving as the chairperson. Members are appointed or commissioned by the Minister of Justice from among judges, prosecutors, lawyers, Ministry of Justice officials, and persons with extensive knowledge and experience in corrections.

Currently, Vice Minister of Justice Kang Seong-guk serves as the chairperson, with Gu Ja-hyun, Director of the Ministry of Justice Prosecution Bureau, and Yoo Byung-cheol, Director of the Correction Headquarters, serving as internal members.

External members include Yoon Kang-yeol, Chief Judge of the Seoul High Court; Kim Yong-jin, lawyer at the Korea Legal Aid Corporation; Hong Seung-hee, professor at Wonkwang University Law School; Baek Yong-mae, professor of psychology at Daegu Catholic University; and Cho Yoon-oh, professor at Dongguk University Police and Judicial College.

The Committee deliberates on the final eligibility by considering factors such as the inmate's age, motive for the crime, charges, sentence length, correctional performance, health condition, ability to sustain livelihood after parole, living environment, risk of recidivism, and other necessary circumstances, based on the list of candidates selected through preliminary screening by each correctional facility. (Article 121, Paragraph 2 of the Execution Act)

According to Article 122 of the Execution Act, if the Committee decides on parole eligibility, it must apply for parole approval to the Minister of Justice within five days. The Minister of Justice may grant parole if the application from the Committee is deemed appropriate.

The Committee's deliberation records are subject to immediate disclosure after the parole decision, but personal identifying information is deleted before release. However, the Committee may decide otherwise through a resolution to satisfy the public's right to know. The Committee's meeting minutes are disclosed five years after the parole decision.

Lee, who was sentenced to two years and six months in prison and detained in court in the retrial of the state power abuse case in January, had completed 60% of his sentence as of the end of last month and was classified as a model prisoner, passing the preliminary parole screening at Seoul Detention Center.

The Ministry of Justice relaxed the parole eligibility requirement from 80% to 60% of the sentence served in April.

The political and legal circles are weighing the possibility of Lee's parole.

Positive factors include Minister Park Beom-gye's advocacy for easing and expanding parole eligibility even before his inauguration, and recent public opinion trends citing the economic crisis and the need for vaccine diplomacy.

However, opposition voices from some progressive groups and the fact that Lee is undergoing trial for another case are negative factors.

In the business community, there are claims that a pardon, rather than parole, is necessary for Lee's return to management. Key economic leaders such as Chey Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Sohn Kyung-shik, Chairman of the Korea Employers Federation; and Koo Ja-yeol, Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association, are reportedly planning to request Lee's pardon again when they meet with Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Hong Nam-ki on the 11th.

Parole and pardon are completely separate procedures, so Lee may be subject to a pardon even if he is released on parole.

Typically, the Committee meetings last about three to four hours. The final result is expected around 6 p.m. on the day.

If parole is granted, the decision will be communicated to each correctional institution and the individual concerned will be notified.

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