Call for Samsung Head's Pardon
The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (Amcham Korea) recently sent a letter to the Blue House in order to ask it to pardon Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong.
Amcham Korea said in the letter that it would be hard for the United States and South Korea to discuss cooperation in the semiconductor industry in the absence of the head of Samsung Electronics.
It also reportedly said Korea's status as a strategic partner of the United States could be endangered if Samsung Electronics does not cooperate with the Joe Biden administration.
"It is critically important to the U.S. that Samsung be an active participant in the investment decisions in the U.S. going forward," Amcham Korea Chairman and CEO James Kim said in a statement.
"We are concerned that the current issue facing the leader of Samsung Electronics can be a significant distraction to Samsung's support of the semiconductor industry in the U.S.," Kim wrote.
Earlier, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Korea Enterprises Federation and the Korea Federation of SMEs also asked for his pardon.
On May 10, South Korean President Moon Jae-in remarked that the pardon is not a matter of his own decision and he would listen to the public in making the decision.