Kang Duk-soo, former chairman of STX Group, said he would consider rebuilding the company after freeing from the prison on Wednesday.
Kang told reporters, "I didn't expect (the release) at all today. I have nothing to say now."
The Seoul court sentenced him to three years in prison suspended for four years for embezzling the company's money on Wednesday.
He was charged in May of last year with embezzling the company's fund of 55.2 billion won and unduly supporting its subsidiaries with 287 billion won. He was also accused of having committed accounting fraud amounting to 2.3 trillion won and issuing corporate bond worth 1.7 trillion won for STX Offshore & Shipbuilding.
The judge said, "The accusation of mishandling hundreds of billions of won for STX was an exclusive decision among working-level employees," and the case resulted in an acquittal.
He said, "I will replay the labor union's efforts and I feel sorry to worry the public."
