Reflecting the public mood, the governing — and usually pro-business — Liberty Korea Party said it respected the court’s decision to arrest Mr. Lee and expressed “regrets
that the people have been again disappointed by the deep-rooted collusion between politics and business.”
Mr. Lee is accused of bribery, embezzlement and perjury as part of an investigation into a confidante of the country’s president, Park Geun-hye.
The unprecedented arrest on Friday of the de facto leader of Samsung, the largest company in the country,
highlighted once again the outsize political influence of the largest family-run companies there.
“Samsung is the global company that represents South Korea, and we fear
that the vacuum in its management will weigh heavily on the economy by increasing uncertainty and hurt international credibility.”
But the power of the chaebol is coming up against rising public anger over the perception of corruption and favoritism.
