The Ministry of Justice's parole review committee confirmed on the 7th that it plans to recommend the reinstatement of Choi Ji-sung, former head of Samsung Electronics' Future Strategy Office, and Jang Chung-ki, former Vice Administrator of the same office, who were implicated in the 'Choi Soon-sil influence-peddling scandal,' along with Hyun Jeon-hyun, former chairman of Tongyang Group, who was indicted for the 'Tongyang Group incident,' to President Lee Jae-myung. If a businessman is reinstated, they can seek employment with financial institutions, public organizations, and companies related to criminal allegations.
According to ChosunBiz's reporting, the parole review committee reviewed the special pardon candidates for Liberation Day on August 15 at 8 p.m. The committee plans to recommend the reinstatement of the former head and former vice administrator, as well as the former chairman, to President Lee. The final decision rests with President Lee. If he accepts it, the three will be reinstated after passing through the State Council. While pardons target those still serving sentences, reinstatement applies to those who have completed their sentences.
Choi and Jang were sentenced to two years and six months in prison in 2021 for soliciting former President Park Geun-hye and Choi Soon-sil (now known as Choi Seo-won) to assist in the succession of Samsung's management rights and restructuring its governance, as well as for providing bribes. At that time, Lee Jae-yong also received the same sentence. He was released earlier that year on parole and was also reinstated. The two were paroled in March 2022 but were not reinstated.
Hyun was arrested and indicted in 2013 on charges of concealing Tongyang Group's risk of bankruptcy and issuing short-term commercial paper (CP) and corporate bonds worth approximately 1.3 trillion won, causing harm to general investors. He was initially sentenced to 12 years in prison but his sentence was reduced to seven years on appeal and was confirmed by the Supreme Court. After his sentence was finalized, Hyun declared personal bankruptcy in 2016. He was released upon completing his sentence in 2021.
Hyun, a graduate of Seoul National University's Law School, passed the judicial examination in 1970 and worked as a prosecutor. He married Lee Hye-gyeong, the eldest daughter of the late former chairman Lee Yang-gu of Tongyang Group, and in 1983, at the age of 34, he took over as president of Tongyang Cement, entering group management. Tongyang Group was ranked 17th in the business world in 2001 based on assets, but subsequently faced management difficulties as its affiliates struggled.