Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong's Parole Review Committee Meeting Begins... Results Expected to Be Announced This Afternoon

On the afternoon of the 9th, Yoon Kang-yeol, a Seoul High Court presiding judge and external member, enters the Ministry of Justice building to attend the parole review committee meeting held at the Government Complex Gwacheon of the Ministry of Justice.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] The meeting of the Ministry of Justice Parole Review Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Parole Review Committee), which includes Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong as a subject of review, began on the afternoon of the 9th.

The Parole Review Committee held a closed meeting from 2 p.m. at the Ministry of Justice Government Gwacheon Complex to discuss the eligibility of the candidates under review.

Yoon Kang-yeol, an external member of the Parole Review Committee and Chief Judge of the Seoul High Court, met with reporters as he entered the Ministry of Justice building and said, "We will conduct the review according to the Constitution and laws," adding, "The Parole Review Committee has long-established practical standards, and we will conduct the review based on those."

The other external members did not respond to reporters' questions and entered the building directly.

According to the Act on the Execution of Sentences and Treatment of Prisoners (hereinafter the Execution of Sentences Act), the Parole Review Committee, established under the Minister of Justice, is composed 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 individuals with extensive knowledge and experience in corrections.

Currently, the chairperson is Kang Sung-guk, Vice Minister of Justice, and internal members include Koo Ja-hyun, Director of the Ministry of Justice Prosecution Bureau; Yoo Byung-chul, Director of the Correction Headquarters; and Yoon Woong-jang, Director of the Crime Prevention Policy Bureau.

The external members are 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 in the Department 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, charge, sentence, correctional performance, health status, 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 of Sentences Act)

According to Article 122 of the Execution of Sentences Act, if the committee decides on parole eligibility, it must apply for parole approval to the Minister of Justice within five days, and if the Minister of Justice deems the application appropriate, parole may be granted.

The results of the meeting are expected to be announced later in the afternoon.

Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye stated on his way to work that morning that the results of the parole review for Vice Chairman Lee would be disclosed immediately once available.

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