Relief for Samsung

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The decision not to grant an arrest warrant for Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong comes as a relief to Samsung Group. Though the de facto chief of the conglomerate still faces allegations of bribery, he will be free to go about his daily business.

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The court's decision to reject the arrest warrant sought for Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has allowed Samsung to avert the worst case scenario of a first-ever arrest of its chief. Shortly after the court's decision, Samsung announced its stance that it is relieved to be able to ascertain the truth without the physical arrest of its vice chairman. However, Lee Jae-yong is still facing charges against him and the probe is still underway. Moreover, the group's top executives will be investigated and tried in court for a prolonged period of time, as the special prosecutor's team said they would continue the probe into officials from Samsung's Future Strategy Office, the group's control tower. Executives subject to the probe include Choi Ji-sung and Chang Chung-ki. This will inevitably make it difficult to swiftly normalize the group's business operations. However, Samsung will likely begin tackling its major tasks that have been postponed since last year, such as personnel appointments, restructuring and new business plans for this year while focusing on the legal battle. In addition, Samsung is likely to consider in earnest disbanding its Future Strategy Office, as Lee Jae-yong promised at a recent parliamentary hearing. Samsung is also expected to devise strategies to improve its global image, which has suffered a blow due to its involvement in the ongoing corruption and influence-peddling scandal.