The Seoul High Court has issued a suspended sentence for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong who had been charged with giving or promising bribes to former President Park Geun-hye and her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil.   

The Seoul court on Monday sentenced Lee to two-and-a-half years in prison suspended for four years.

With the court's decision, Lee will be released after having been imprisoned for 353 days. 

Monday's ruling marked a mitigated sentence compared to a lower court ruling on August 25th of last year. The Seoul Central District Court had sentenced Lee to five years in prison for all five counts charged against him: bribery, embezzlement, illegal transfer of assets overseas, concealment of criminal proceeds and perjury.