SEOUL \u2013 A Seoul court on Thursday denied a request to arrest one of South Korea\u2019s most powerful men, the heir to the Samsung Electronics juggernaut, in a setback to prosecutors investigating an influence-peddling scandal that toppled South Korea\u2019s president.
The Seoul Central District Court said that a judge concluded that there was not enough justification to detain the 48-year-old billionaire Samsung vice chairman, Lee Jae-yong, at this stage.
The announcement, made around 5 a.m. local time, allowed Lee to return home after a long night. He had been waiting for the court\u2019s decision at a detention center south of Seoul for more than 12 hours after a court hearing the previous day.
Samsung said \u201cthe merits of this case can now be determined without the need for detention.\u201d
The decision means that Samsung avoids what could have been a stunning fall for the princeling of the country\u2019s richest family, a man groomed to lead South Korea\u2019s most successful company.
It came amid calls for caution from some business groups and newspapers worried that arresting Lee could hurt the economy because of Samsung\u2019s huge role, both economically and psychologically, in the country.
It is not uncommon in South Korea for courts to issue an arrest warrant past midnight for important or contentious cases, said Shin Jae-hwan, a spokesman for the Seoul court. The long deliberation means the judge must have agonized over the decision, he added.
Prosecutors said Lee gave 43 billion won ($36 million) in bribes to President Park Geun-hye and Choi Soon-sil, her confidante, seeking support for a contentious merger. They also suspect him of embezzling and lying under oath during a parliamentary hearing last month.
The court\u2019s decision may hurt prosecutors\u2019 plan to expand the bribery probe to Park.
Prosecutors expressed strong disappointment and said they believe the court\u2019s decision was caused by a difference in legal views on the nature of the allegations against the Samsung heir.
Samsung and other companies told investigators that they felt forced to make donations to foundations controlled by Choi in fear of retaliatory tax investigations and other unfair government treatment, according to state prosecutors who handed over the investigation to special prosecutors.
\u201cThe court\u2019s rejection of the arrest warrant is very regrettable,\u201d Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for a special prosecutors\u2019 team investigating the political scandal, said. \u201cWe\u2019ll take measures to continue an investigation unwaveringly,\u201d he said, without elaborating.
South Korea\u2019s main opposition party, which spearheaded Park\u2019s impeachment, accused the court of being too lenient. \u201cThe president was impeached and Choi Soon-sil was arrested \u2026 but Samsung is still fine,\u201d the Democratic Party said in a statement.
Lee has been serving as the de facto head of Samsung since his father suffered a heart attack in 2014. Shortly after the recalls of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone last year, he joined the board of Samsung Electronics, the group\u2019s crown jewel.
Conglomerates like Samsung, known as chaebol, dominate South Korea\u2019s economy, jobs and investment. Samsung Electronics and its affiliated companies account for about a third of the market value in South Korea\u2019s main stock market.
Civic groups had called for Lee\u2019s arrest as a way to show that all are equal before the law.
Many were infuriated by the allegations that the government had pressured a pension fund, a major investor in Samsung, to help the Lee family\u2019s succession plan. Moon Hyung-pyo, the former health minister was indicted on Monday for allegedly pressuring pension fund officials to support the merger.
Prosecutors said Moon, who now heads the pension fund, acted on behalf of President Park, who ordered him to make sure that the Samsung merger went smoothly. They plan to summon Park to question her about the bribery allegations.
Park has been suspended from her duties since the parliament impeached her in December. She is awaiting the Constitutional Court\u2019s decision on whether her impeachment will be upheld. Choi is on trial for meddling in state affairs.
Educated in South Korea, Japan and the United States, Lee is the crown prince of the country\u2019s richest family, one South Koreans often liken to royalty.
His father is South Korea\u2019s richest individual whose net worth is estimated at $14.8 billion by Forbes Magazine. The younger Lee\u2019s net worth is estimated at $5.8 billion.
The elder Lee was convicted twice on bribery, embezzlement and other charges in 1996 and 2008, but he was never imprisoned. He received suspended jail terms and was later pardoned by the country\u2019s presidents both times.<\/p>\n