Korea: KFTC chief says he did not meet with Samsung heir

Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) Chairman Kim Sang-jo denied his rumored meeting with Samsung Group Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong amid his heightened calls for corporate reforms at the nation’s largest conglomerate, reported The Investor.

“I never met Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong in person,” Kim said in a telephone interview on August 3, adding “These days something like that cannot remain a secret.”

Following the Samsung heir’s first meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in India last month, rumors spread that Lee and the KFTC chief also met recently and discussed Samsung’s governance reform plans that are likely to be announced later this year.

Industry watchers had presumed Kim, nicknamed “chaebol sniper,” could have made some compromises on the reform plans as the government is eager for cooperation with Samsung on job creation.

Full Content: The Investor

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