Samsung heir freed from S Korea jail

Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong has been freed from jail after a South Korean court suspended his five year jail term for bribing the country’s ex-president.

Seoul High Court upheld parts of the conviction, but used its discretion to release the executive.

Prosecutors may challenge the decision in the country’s supreme court.

The case gripped the public amid growing anger against the country’s biggest companies, known as chaebols, and their influence on wider society.

In Monday’s hearing, the court halved Lee’s original sentence to two and a half years - and suspended the sentence for charges including bribery and embezzlement, meaning he does not have to serve any more prison time.

Despite his release, Lee plans to appeal against the remaining guilty verdicts, his lawyer said.

Last year a lower court jailed Lee for corruption in a political scandal that ultimately brought down former President Park Geun-hye.

The Samsung Electronics vice chairman, who is also known as Jay Y Lee, had been convicted of a range of offences including bribery and embezzlement.

The scandal exposed the ties between family-run conglomerates and political powers.

Samsung Electronics is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Samsung Group conglomerate, which is made up of 60 interlinked companies.

Lee, has effectively directed operations at the mobile phone and chip maker since his father, Lee Kun-hee, was incapacitated by a heart attack in 2014.

The 49-year-old was accused of giving donations worth 41bn won ($37.7m) to nonprofit foundations operated by Choi Soonsil, a friend of South Korea’s former President Park Geun-hye, in return for political favours.

Prosecutors said the donations were made to Ms Park’s confidante to win government support for a big restructuring of Samsung that would strengthen Lee’s control over Samsung Electronics.

But Lee’s defence team said that the payments were signed off without his knowledge.

Lee admitted that the firm also gave a horse and money to help the equestrian career of Choi’s daughter, Chung Yoo-ra, but denied seeking favours.