Rejection of Lee Jae-yong arrest warrant shows that S. Korea is still the Republic of Samsung

Posted on : 2017-01-20 16:41 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Outpouring of public anger over court’s denial, as well as messages of support for Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo
 for the Special Prosecutor’s team led by Park Young-soo
for the Special Prosecutor’s team led by Park Young-soo

Angry and despairing citizens bemoaned the “Samsung republic” South Korea has become after news that a court had moved on the morning of Jan. 19 to reject an arrest warrant against Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, 49, on charges of offering bribes to President Park Geun-hye.

The news also brought an outpouring of support and encouragement for the team of Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo.

”Samsung ranks first in the Republic of Korea hierarchy”

“The rejection of the arrest warrant does not erase the crime that occurred,” wrote the group Emergency Citizen Action for the Resignation of the Park Geun-hye Administration in an emergency statement the same morning.

The group went on to say a 13th pan-national action with demonstrations on Jan. 21 would “set right the justice demolished by the courts.”

In a press conference in front of Seoul Central District Court at around 2 pm, Emergency Citizen Action and the group MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society called on the Special Prosecutor to resubmit the warrant request.

“The Special Prosecutor’s request for an arrest warrant against Lee Jae-yong was both necessary and appropriate,” they insisted.

Social networking services were also abuzz with voices of indignation. Minjoo Party lawmaker Pyo Chang-won posted a link to an article on the warrant rejection on his Twitter feed, along with the message, “The Republic of Korea is a chaebol republic. The Republic of Korea is the Samsung republic. All the powers that be in the Republic of Korea take money from Lee Jae-yong.”

Baek Chan-hong, a member of the CR Life steering committee, tweeted, “Arrest warrant for Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong rejected, once again showing that Park Geun-hye and Choi Sun-sil are both figureheads and Samsung ranks first in the Republic of Korea hierarchy.”

“The people Judge Cho Ui-yeon have rejected warrants for include Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin, former Volkswagen president Park Dong-hoon, and former Oxy CEO John Lee. He’s been granting survival to at least three different generations,” Baek continued.

Historian Jeon Woo-yong tweeted, “One judge has issued himself a ticket to become Samsung’s advisory attorney in the future.”

Bouquets of flowers with the message “Stay Strong”
Bouquets of flowers with the message “Stay Strong”
#StayStrongParkYoungsoo

Messages of support for Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo have also continued, with many netizens posting tweets bearing the hashtag #StayStrongParkYoungsoo.

“What fun is there if everything goes easily? Stay strong to the end, Special Prosecutor!” wrote one.

“Get the materials you need and try [submitting the warrant request] again!” wrote another.

“Samsung really is slippery. Stay strong, Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo!” wrote a third.

Seoul National University law professor Han In-sup posted a Facebook message reading, “At times like this, I leave a bouquet of flowers in front of the Special Prosecutor’s office to offer encouragement.”

“In the past, the prosecutors used to target the big ones, but I’ve never seen them go after one like this,” Han continued. “There aren’t many staffers on the Special Prosecutor’s team. All of us citizens need to support them and give them our encouragement and protection.”

Hanyang University law professor Park Chan-un posted another Facebook message saying, “Hopefully, this warrant request rejection will not break the Special Prosecutor’s determination to investigate.”

“I’m sure the Special Prosecutor will make the right decision, but if he can’t accept the Lee Jae-yong arrest warrant being rejected, he needs to present more evidence and submit the request again,” Park continued. “I hope the Special Prosecutor will stay strong.”

Many observers said the public now needs to show its anger in the upcoming weekend candlelight demonstrations on Jan. 21.

“What Lee Jae-yong did was worse than what the people who’ve already been arrested did, and seeing him escape the law made me really again just how powerful the ‘Samsung republic’ is,” said Kim Song-eun, a 37-year-old stay-at-home mother in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province.

“We’re going to need to go back to Gwanghwamun Square this weekend with our candles,” Kim added.

Kim Seong-do, a 38-year-old company employee living in Seoul’s Eunpyeong district, said, “It doesn’t seem like there’s any history of the judiciary really fighting against the dictatorship or vested interests to gain its independence.”

“The people with the candles have been calling for us to reckon with old vices, and the court has now shown that it’s part of the problem,” Kim said.

By Park Soo-jin and Kim Kyu-nam, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

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