SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's finance minister said on Wednesday (Jan 18) it was "not yet time" to discuss what impact the arrest of Samsung leader Lee Jae Yong would have on the economy if it happens.

"The court should make a decision before I say something; now is not the time," Finance Minister Yoo Il Ho told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting in Seoul.

Lee, the 48-year-old leader of Samsung Group, is due to appear at a court hearing on Wednesday morning where a judge will decide whether to issue an arrest warrant over his alleged role in a corruption scandal that has engulfed South Korea.