By Sherisse Pham
CNN
Feb 5, 2018
Lee Jae-young, the de facto leader of the huge Samsung business empire is getting out of jail sooner than expected.
“South Korea goes notoriously light on white collar crime,” said Geoffrey Cain, the author of a forthcoming book on Samsung. “There were hopes that things were improving during the first trial, when [Lee] got five years. But this appeal really suggests nothing has changed.”
Samsung is South Korea’s biggest conglomerate. Its combined businesses are estimated to account for around 15% of the country’s entire economy.
“If South Korean tradition holds, Jay Lee will get a pardon for his value to the economy,” Cain said.
Read more about the corruption trial of Samsung Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee at CNN