Samsung has obtained a pardon from its president, Lee Jae-young, who was convicted of bribing former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, AP reports.. NEWS.

Large-scale corruption scandal led to the overthrow of the former government of South Korea. The current act of indulgence underscored the tech company's huge impact in the country and in the world..

Lee Jae Young's pardon is somewhat symbolic as he was released on parole a year ago after serving an 18-month prison sentence that was due to end in July.. Critics say the billionaire kept control of Samsung even while behind bars. The pardon will allow the electronic giant's heir to fully return to his managerial duties..

The Ministry of Justice has announced that incumbent President Yoon Suk-yeol, who served as prosecutor to investigate Lee Jae-young's corruption scandal, will issue a pardon on Monday, a national holiday, when about 1,700 people, including other leading businessmen, will receive pardons..

Lee Jae-young, 54, was convicted in 2017 of bribing former President Park Geun-hye and her close confidant to secure government support for a merger between two Samsung subsidiaries that would increase control of the corporate empire..

Park Geun-hye and her confidant were also convicted in this scandal.. He infuriated South Koreans who held mass protests for months demanding an end to shady ties between business and politics.. Demonstrations eventually led to Park Geun-hye's removal from power.

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While some community groups have criticized the decision, recent opinion polls have shown that South Koreans, years after the 2016 and 2017 protests, are mostly in favor of pardoning Lee.. This shows that Samsung continues to hold its own in a country where it not only manufactures smartphones and TVs, but also issues credit cards, builds luxury residences and runs the best hospital in the country..

Business leaders and politicians have also called for a pardon for Lee, which they say will allow Samsung, one of the world's largest manufacturers of memory chips for computers and smartphones, to be bolder and faster in business decisions, fully restoring his rights to run the business empire..

Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said the pardon for business tycoons is aimed at "

South Korea is a leader not only in terms of economic development and technical innovations, but also in terms of the number of lawsuits against top officials of the country.. Thanks to a tough legislative policy, conscience and determined struggle of ordinary citizens, South Korea managed to overcome corruption at the lower and middle levels of government, but abuses in its upper echelons remain insurmountable..