Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon is not likely to request Samsung Electronics make greater investments at a meeting with the group’s heir, Lee Jae-yong, on Monday, according to sources from the government and Samsung on Friday. 

It had been rumored that the minister would ask Samsung to spend more to create new jobs ahead of their meeting. But Samsung making fresh investments is unlikely to be addressed, as the government seeks to avoid public criticism for begging for corporate investment for economic growth.

“If Samsung announces investment and employment plans on the day of Kim’s visit, the public may misunderstand that the government twists the company’s arm or begs it to make investments,” a local media outlet reported, citing a source from the Blue House.

President Moon Jae-in recently met Lee during a state visit to India. At the opening ceremony of a Samsung production line in the country, Moon asked Lee to invest more in Korea and create more jobs, which has been seen as a conciliatory gesture toward the chaebol scion who has been embroiled in a high-profile corruption scandal involving former President Park Geun-hye.

Kim’s visit to Samsung is his fifth field trip to a Korean conglomerates. He visited LG in December, Hyundai Motor in January, SK in March and Shinsegae in June. 

By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)