Samsung executive Lee Jae-yong has been released from prison in South Korea after eighteen months. He is one of 810 prisoners to be released on parole on Liberation Day in South Korea. The country celebrates the end of Japanese rule in 1945.
The driver was initially sentenced to five years in prison for bribery and embezzlement, but was eventually sentenced to 30 months in prison.
Under Lee, Samsung paid tens of millions to a confidant of then-President Park. In return, the company received political support for, for example, a merger of two subsidiaries. The case also led to Park’s downfall.
“I’m sorry,” Lee told reporters as he left prison. He was taken away in a black limousine. He will remain employed by Samsung, but may not be able to work due to a five-year labor ban. Lee can request an exception from the Justice Department, but it is unclear whether he has done so.
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