The abbots of 24 branch temples of the Jogye Order, South Korea’s largest Buddhist sect, pleaded with President Moon Jae-in and two other important politicians to give jailed Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong a chance. While they did not ask for a pardon, they said Lee deserved such a chance to repent for his past and take action to fulfill his promises.
“We understand that Mr. Lee made many efforts to repent for his past and even apologized publicly before the court’s verdict,” they said in a joint statement. “In his statement, he admitted that Samsung did not follow the rules and was unethical.
He also apologized for not being able to cope with the increasingly strict norms of society.” The statement was delivered to President Moon Jae-in, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and National Assembly Speaker Park Byung-seok. The Buddhist leaders called on the Korean public to observe whether Lee Myung-bak fulfills his past promises after his release, saying the public will know whether he takes them seriously.
“We all make mistakes because we are all imperfect. We all have flaws because we are human. Lee Myung-bak is one such fragile person. We hope he can have a second chance to repent for his past and fulfill his promises,” the statement read. It is rare for the chief monks of South Korea’s largest Buddhist sect to issue a joint statement calling for leniency for a jailed businessman.
