Korea's business leaders call on Moon to free jailed Samsung boss Lee

FILE PHOTO: South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Washington, U.S., May 21, 2021. REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger/File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) -Leaders of South Korea's largest conglomerates urged President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday to pardon Jay Y. Lee, the jailed vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, to maintain the country's edge in the chip industry.

The plea was made during a luncheon between Moon and chiefs of four major business empires - Samsung, Hyundai, LG and SK - designed to boost economic cooperation after Moon and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to bolster the global supply chain for high-tech manufacturing.