In the recent trial for former president Park Geun-hye, most of the judgements about the bribery of the appellate court have remained similar to those of the first trial.
However, the appellate court judged that there was a ‘implicit request’ for the succession because Samsung provided 1.462 billion dollars to the Winter Sports Center for the gifted.
This issue is expected to be disadvantageous for Samsung Electronics’ Vice-Chairman Lee Jae-young, who was released after receiving a suspended sentence at the appellate court.
On August 24th, the Seoul High Court judged that there was an unjust request to former President Park Geun-hye to help Lee Jae-young’s succession process. As a result, the government recognized the bribe of the 1.462 billion dollars in support for the Winter Sports Center for the gifted.
The first justice trial found it difficult to consider that there were explicit or tacit requests for succession. However, the court’s decision was different. It was judge that there was indeed a succession work as a comprehensive issue.
“The succession process can only be flexible with changes in economic, social, institutional and political changes. As long as the succession process is recognized, the contents of the individual governance restructuring need not be specifically specified at the time of appeal,” said the court.
The court said on July 25th, 2015, that former President Park Geun-hye was aware of the current issue of Vice-Chairman Lee’s succession process.
“After the exclusive interview, the government has taken good care of Samsung, which is likely to have been ordered and approved by the defendant,” said the court in reponse.
Vice-chairman Lee was found guilty in the first trial and innocent in the second trial with regards to supporting (bribery) the Winter Sports Center for the gifted. Accordingly, attention is being given to Vice-Chairman Lee’s appeal, who was released after receiving 2 years and six month in prison and 4 years of probation.
“As the court acknowledged that the succession process of the management rights actually existed, the conviction of Lee Jae-young became inevitable. Not only the financial Services Commission, but also the courts are proving Lee’s guilt,” said Park Young-jin, member of the Democratic party of Korea.
If the succession process is acknowledged in the Supreme court, Vice-Chairman Lee is expected to face heavy charges.
The business community expects to conclude the entire Supreme Court agreement in the future.
The court predicted that the case will take some time, citing the two-year Supreme Court ruling for Cho Hyun-ah, the former Vice-President of Korean Air, who has been embroiled in controversy over the ‘peanut scandal’.
