An appeal court has freed but not exonerated Lee Jae-yong after he was convicted of bribery involving an ex-president. The ruling said the "main players in this scandal" had been the president and her confidant.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon
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A South Korean court on Monday suspended a prison sentence for Samsung Group heir Lee Jae-yong, effectively allowing him to walk free after serving a year in custody.
In 2016, Lee was convicted of bribing disgraced President Park Geun-hye for support of a merger that would strengthen his control of Samsung Electronics. The technology giant allegedly sponsored the equestrian career of the daughter of Park's longtime confidant Choi Soon-sil.
However, Judge Cheong Hyung-sik on Monday said Lee's involvement in Samsung's financial support for Choi was a "passive compliance to political power."
"Park Geun-hye and Choi Soon-sil should be seen as the main players in this scandal," said the ruling.
Park had denied allegations that she conspired with Choi to extort money and favors from South Korean companies. However, the allegations forced her to step down, making her the only president in South Korea's modern history to not complete their entire presidential term.
South Korea's former president Park Geun-hye has denied any wrongdoingImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Kim Hong-ji
Tarnished image
Meanwhile, Lee's lawyer said his client would appeal part of the court ruling that found him guilty of some of the charges, saying the merger that resulted in further consolidating his power at Samsung had been completed to improve business at the world's largest smartphone maker.
According to media reports, Lee could still return to lead Samsung Group after his father was left bedridden after suffering a heart attack in 2014.
However, the heir apparent may still have to deal with the stigma of serving jail time on corruption charges involving the president.
"Public opinion will get riled up and people will keep thinking there was some quid pro quo between Samsung's Lee and the president," Lee Jung-Jae, a lawyer at the South Korean law firm Jung, told Reuters news agency.
South Korea's unending political crisis
Despite the impeachment of President Park, the political crisis in S. Korea is far from over. While the protesters continue to demand Park's resignation, the scandal has spilled over into the highest levels of business.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/L. Jin-man
Extortion and manipulation
On Monday, a Danish court extended the detention of Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, the woman at the centre of a corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of Park Geun-hye, South Korea's president. Choi is accused of influencing government policy and getting rich through extortion and manipulation.
Image: Reuters/K. Hong-Ji
South Korea's 'Rasputin'
Choi is in custody on charges of meddling in state affairs without holding a government position and using her connections with the president to extort vast sums of money from many of South Korea's best-known companies. Beyond the legal charges, she is being blamed for both effectively bringing down the government of President Park and leaving her reputation and political legacy in tatters.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/Chung Sung-Jun
Defiance
Last month, Park did not turn up to testify in a court case which will decide her future. The president was impeached over a multifaceted corruption scandal in December.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Yonhap
Fall from grace
After her impeachment, Park Geun-hye is regarded both as a perpetrator and a victim. Her future is uncertain as the country struggles to recover from a political scandal.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Jeon Heon-Kyun
Calls for early elections
Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets since the start of the corruption scandal, calling on President Park to step down. South Korea's Constitutional Court is deciding whether to formally unseat Park or restore her power. If she is forced out, a new election would be held within two months to choose her successor.
Image: Reuters/K. Hong-Ji
Scandal reaches top of the 'chaebols'
South Korea's corruption scandal has spilled over into the highest levels of business. The vice-chairman of Samsung, Lee Jae-yong, was questioned last month by investigators who are seeking evidence that he paid bribes to Choi Soon-sil. Given the economic and political importance of Samsung in South Korea, if Lee is indicted, it could be on the same level of President Park's impeachment.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Yeon-Je
The split
In December, a group of lawmakers from South Korea's ruling Saenuri Party abandoned Park to form a new party, tentatively named the New Conservative Party for Reform (NCPR). The party infighting is another blow to Park.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/EPA/Yonhap/YNA
Ban drops out of presidential race
Former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has declared that he won't run for South Korea's presidency. He had been expected to seek the position after a corruption scandal saw President Park impeached. The newly-formed NCPR was hoping that Ban would join their ranks.
