Park Beom-gye "No Report to Blue House on Lee Jae-yong's Parole"

Full Judiciary Committee Meeting on the 24th...
Minister Park: "There Are Contributions to Be Made on Vaccine and Semiconductor Issues"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] On the 24th, Park Beom-gye, Minister of Justice, said regarding the parole of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, "There was no report to the Blue House."

At the plenary meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee that day, Minister Park responded to a question from Kwon Seong-dong, a member of the People Power Party, saying, "There has been no specific consultation with the Blue House regarding the parole."

Regarding President Moon Jae-in's statement that "I accept it as a choice for national interest and hope the public will understand," Minister Park said, "I think he may have taken into account what I announced."

On whether Vice Chairman Lee violated employment restrictions, Minister Park explained, "It is not possible to categorically say whether it is employment or not," adding, "The factors of part-time work, unpaid status, and non-registered positions are important considerations in judging employment."

He also added, "From the perspective of national interest, even if Vice Chairman Lee's involvement is not ordinary management participation that can be seen as employment, there are areas where he can contribute, such as vaccine issues and semiconductor matters."