韩国司法系统面临政治反弹,此前三星(Samsung)亿万富翁继承人的刑期获得缓期执行。
The release of Lee Jae-yong, jailed following a corruption scandal, reinforced fears of collusion between the country’s political and business elites.
在一桩腐败丑闻曝光之后被监禁的李在镕(Lee Jae-yong)获释,强化了外界对韩国政治和商业精英之间串通的担忧。
Government and opposition party members criticised the ruling yesterday, saying it dashed hopes of reform at the country’s big family-run conglomerates known as chaebol.
政府和反对党成员昨日对这一裁决提出批评,他们表示这粉碎了在韩国大型家族综合集团(被称为财阀)推行改革的希望。
“The public has witnessed the corrupt ties between government and big business but the court has set Lee Jae-yong free by making him a victim of the scandal,” said Woo Won-shik of the ruling Democratic party. “It’s hard to imagine how disappointed people are as they hoped for a signal for a new Korea by cutting those ties.”
“公众见证了政府与大企业之间的腐败关系,但法庭却把李在镕说成这桩丑闻的受害者,据此释放了他,”韩国执政党共同民主党(Democratic party)的禹元植(Woo Won-Shik)表示,“很难想象人民有多么失望,他们原本希望得到一个新韩国的信号,斩断那些关系。”
Mr Lee, Samsung’s vice-chairman and the scion of the founding family, was released after the appeals court halved his sentence to two-and-a-half years and suspended it for four years, enabling him to return to management after being in prison for a year.
在上诉法庭将刑期减至两年半并缓期4年执行后,三星副董事长、三星创始家族的继承人李在镕被释放,这让他在被监禁一年后得以返回管理层。
Politicians rejected the court’s ruling that Samsung had not sought favours from Park Geun-hye, then president, who was impeached last year and is standing trial on multiple charges including bribery and abuse of power. She denies wrongdoing.
政治人士不接受法庭有关三星没有从时任总统朴槿惠(Park Geun-hye)那里谋求恩惠的裁定,朴槿惠去年被弹劾,目前面对庭审,罪名包括受贿和滥用权力。她否认自己有不当行为。
“‘The Republic of Samsung’ is threatening our era by reviving the myth of ‘you are not guilty if you have money’,” said Lee Jung-mi, head of the Justice party. “People are worried that the ruling could have a negative impact on Ms Park’s case.”
“‘三星共和国’正威胁我们的时代,它恢复了‘如果你有钱,就不会被判有罪’的神话,”正义党(Justice Party)党首李惠薰(Lee Jung-mi)表示,“人们担心,这项裁决可能会对朴槿惠的案件产生负面影响。”
Mr Lee’s trial was a test case in the government’s efforts to clean up Korea Inc, which has long been dominated by a handful of large chaebol. Politicians and civic groups have called on the Supreme Court to overturn the appeals ruling.
李在镕受审是对政府清理韩国企业界努力的考验,长期以来,韩国企业界一直被少数大财阀统治。政治人士和公民团体呼吁最高法院推翻上诉法庭的裁决。
Faced with the public backlash against the ruling, Yoon Boo-keun, Samsung’s vice-chairman, said the company would engage in “speedy management”. He would not say when Mr Lee would return to management, but the company’s de facto leader is widely expected to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics on Friday. Samsung is a big sponsor of the games.
面对公众对这项裁决的反弹,三星副董事长尹富根(Yoon Boo-keun)表示,该公司将进行“快速管理”。他不愿透露李在镕何时重返管理层,但外界广泛预测,三星实际领导人将参加周五的冬奥会(Winter Olympics)开幕式。三星是本届奥运会的重要赞助商。