이재용 영장 기각…법원 "구속 필요성 소명 부족"<br /><br />Samsung Group's heir Lee Jae-yong has avoided being sent to a jail cell after the Seoul Central District Court refused the prosecution's request to issue an arrest warrant for him over allegations related to his succession plans.<br />Kim Bo-kyoung reports.<br />After a marathon court hearing,... the top executive at Samsung Electronics, Lee Jae-yong, was able to walk out of Seoul Detention Center, located south of the capital at 2:40 AM, Korea time, on Tuesday after the court refused to issue an arrest warrant for him.<br />The court said it couldn't find sufficient probable cause to arrest the billionaire business tycoon over allegations related to the controversial 2015 merger of two Samsung affiliates.<br />Two former Samsung executives who were brought in with Lee,... Choi Gee-sung and Kim Jong-joong from the group's now-deactivated control tower, the Future Strategy Office, were also released.<br />The prosecution said it was disappointed with the court's ruling.<br />They are expected to review the reasons behind their failure to convince the court to issue the warrant.<br />They'll decide whether to request an another arrest warrant for Lee,... but it's expected to be tough as it has already been denied by the court.<br />The refusal to issue an arrest warrant affects an external committee's decision as well.<br />Lee previously requested the establishment of a citizen panel around a week ago,... before prosecutors asked for the arrest warrant,... to judge if the investigation regarding his charges is even necessary.<br />Although he managed to avoid arrest this time,... some experts say it's time for Lee to overcome his repeated 'owner risk' namely the misconduct of conglomerate owners that pose a threat to the company's stock prices, profits and its future plans to fulfill his personal ambitions.<br />Prosecutors could still indict Lee after collecting more evidence and convict him through trials.<br />Making matters worse,... Lee is still dealing with an old bribery case ordered to be retried by the Supreme Court.<br />For Lee to create a "New Samsung" like he mentioned in his rare public apology last month and fulfill his ambitions of making Samsung the world's No. 1 system semiconductor maker by 2030,... it seems Lee needs to first overcome his legal problems before that can become a reality.<br />Kim Bo-kyoung, Arirang News.<br />
