FT社評：韓國不能繼續(xù)包庇財閥

Immediately after receiving a presidential pardon that cleared his conviction for tax evasion in 2009, Lee Kun-hee, the chairman of Samsung, led South Korea in a successful bid to host the Winter Olympics.

2009年，被判犯有逃稅罪的韓國三星(Samsung)董事長李健熙(Lee Kun-hee)獲得了總統(tǒng)的特赦，隨后，他帶領(lǐng)韓國成功申辦了2018年冬季奧運會。

In what looks like fortuitous timing, an appeals court on Monday halved the five-year corruption sentence of Mr Lee’s son, Lee Jae-yong, and suspended it for four years, allowing him to walk free in time for the opening of the Pyeongchang Olympics on Friday.

無獨有偶，韓國一家上訴法院本周一將李健熙之子李在镕(Lee Jae-yong)因貪污罪所獲的5年刑期減半，并緩期4年執(zhí)行，這樣一來，他正好來得及以自由之身參加周五平昌奧運會(Pyeongchang Olympics)開幕式。

South Korean politicians from both parties, as well as ordinary citizens, have reacted with outrage. Since the country emerged from the devastation of the Korean war, its economy has been dominated by family-run conglomerates known as chaebol.

這激怒了韓國兩黨政客及普通民眾。自朝鮮戰(zhàn)爭結(jié)束后，韓國的經(jīng)濟(jì)一直由家族企業(yè)集團(tuán)把持，這種集團(tuán)被稱為財閥(Chaebol)。

The combined market capitalisation of the five biggest groups accounts for more than half of the Kospi, the main Korean stock index. Samsung’s 16 listed entities alone account for nearly 30 per cent. But the opacity of these companies, the impression of cosy relations between them, the government and the judiciary have created the “Korea discount phenomenon”, where local companies trade at lower price-to-earnings multiples than their global peers.

五大集團(tuán)的市值總和占韓國綜合股價指數(shù)(Kospi，韓國主要股指)市值的一半以上。其中僅三星的16個上市實體就占了近30%。但這些公司的不透明、以及它們與政府和司法機構(gòu)之間似乎相互通融的關(guān)系造成了“韓國折扣現(xiàn)象”，即韓國企業(yè)的市盈率低于全球同行。

The corruption case against Lee Jae-yong for bribing former President Park Geun-hye was seen as a test of the government’s commitment to clean up Korea Inc and reduce the power of the chaebol. As Samsung’s vice-chairman and heir apparent to his father, who has been incapacitated since a heart attack in 2014, Lee is a potent symbol.

人們認(rèn)為，李在镕被控向韓國前總統(tǒng)樸槿惠(Park Geun-hye)行賄一案，是對韓國政府肅清韓企業(yè)界風(fēng)氣和降低財閥權(quán)力的決心的考驗。李健熙因心臟病自2014年起失去了行為能力，作為三星副會長及其父的繼承人，李在镕是一個有力象征。

That is why the timing and circumstances of his release are so unfortunate. The overwhelming impression among Koreans and international observers is that the courts are returning to bad old ways, reserving special leniency for the business elite.

這就是為什么他被釋放的時間和形勢是如此令人遺憾。韓國及國際上的觀察人士們普遍認(rèn)為，韓國法庭故態(tài)復(fù)萌，對商界精英奉行特殊的寬大處理。

They have been offered a reminder of the words of a judge who in 2008 suspended the sentence for embezzlement of Hyundai Motor’s chairman, saying he was too important to the national economy to go to jail.

觀察人士們再次想起了2008年，因侵吞公款獲罪的現(xiàn)代汽車(Hyundai Motor)董事長鄭夢九獲得緩刑，做出這一裁決的法官當(dāng)時說，鄭夢九對韓國國民經(jīng)濟(jì)太重要了，不能去坐牢。

Since Lee was convicted in August, Samsung has reported record operating profits. Its global business has gone from strength to strength. So in this case it is reasonable to argue that improving corporate governance practices and cleaning up Korea Inc is too important to the future of the economy for sweetheart deals to continue taking the place of real justice.

自去年8月李在镕被定罪以來，三星公布的營業(yè)利潤創(chuàng)了記錄。其全球業(yè)務(wù)越發(fā)強大。因此，我們有理由認(rèn)為，改善公司治理制度和肅清韓企風(fēng)氣對韓國經(jīng)濟(jì)的未來太重要了，因此不能讓姑息包庇繼續(xù)取代真正的正義。

Most importantly, the practice of presidential pardons for convicted titans of industry must end. The elder Mr Lee was convicted twice and pardoned twice. His son must not receive the same treatment. The next step in his case must be a credible review of the appellate decision by South Korea’s Supreme Court.

最重要的是，必須終結(jié)總統(tǒng)赦免被判有罪的工業(yè)巨頭的做法。李健熙兩次被定罪，兩次獲赦免。他的兒子絕不能再獲得同樣的待遇。接下來，韓國最高法院(South Korea’s Supreme Court)必須就李在镕的案件對上訴庭的裁決進(jìn)行可信的復(fù)審。

If the Samsung scion is indeed the victim of a miscarriage of justice, as the appellate court asserted, then a fair and open ruling by the Supreme Court should allow him to go free. Making him a scapegoat for decades of bad corporate behaviour will not serve justice.

如果三星的接班人確實如上訴法院所認(rèn)定的那樣受到了冤枉，那么，最高法院公正、公開的裁決應(yīng)該讓他重獲自由。讓他成為幾十年來糟糕的企業(yè)行為的替罪羊，將無法伸張正義。

But if the Supreme Court rules that the original verdict was correct then Lee should be returned immediately to jail and serve the entirety of his sentence. South Korea has come too far and is too valuable an example of a functioning democracy in Asia for its tired old practices of crony capitalism to continue.

但如果最高法院裁定維持一審判決，那么李在镕應(yīng)該立即被送回監(jiān)獄并服完其全部刑期。韓國已經(jīng)取得了如此大的進(jìn)展，也是運行良好的亞洲民主制度的一個如此寶貴的例子，所以其陳舊的裙帶資本主義的做派不能再繼續(xù)下去了。

Samsung is a major sponsor of the Olympic Games and the newly released Lee is expected to attend the opening ceremony on Friday.

三星是奧運會的主要贊助商之一，剛剛獲釋的李在镕預(yù)計將出席周五的開幕式。

The event will provide a useful moment for him, the country and its leaders to reflect on the Olympic ideal of free and fair competition.

本屆冬奧會將為李在镕、韓國及其領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人提供一個良機，讓他們思考奧林匹克自由和公平競爭的理想。