South Korea to pardon Samsung heir following corruption scandal

Samsung Electronics Co. Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong speaks before leaving the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. South Korea’s president will pardon Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong with a year left on his sentence for bribing a president as part of a massive corruption scandal that toppled her government, the justice minister announced Friday. (Kim Ju Sung/Yonhap/AP/PA)

South Korea’s president will formally pardon Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong, one year after he was released on parole from a prison sentence for bribing former President Park Geun-hye as part of a corruption scandal that toppled Ms Park’s government.

Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin and two other top business leaders will be pardoned as well.