Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has steered clear of a legal risk involving his alleged violation of a restriction on his employment that is effective until 2026.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police decided not to refer the case involving the 53-year-old de facto leader of the South Korea-based tech giant to the prosecution, considering he was not paid for his casual work as an unregistered director, according to activist groups on Friday.
Seven civil activist groups, including the Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice, jointly blasted police for “turning a blind eye to a convicted chaebol family’s return to management,” adding the police decision effectively deprived the employment restriction rules of their force. They argued that any individual should be seen as “being employed” if he or she performs at a workplace with a job title assigned regardless of whether they are paid or not.
The decision came nine months after the activist groups accused Lee of “virtually performing duties as Samsung’s vice chairman” even as he was subject to a five-year employment ban as a result of his bribery conviction in January 2021.
Lee was released from prison on parole in August last year. A few weeks after Lee’s release and return to Samsung’s management, Samsung unveiled an investment pledge worth 240 trillion won ($189.1 billion) over a period of three years. This was followed by a five-year plan to spend a combined 450 trillion won in May.
In the meantime, Lee has...
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