Yoon grants special pardon ahead of Liberation Day

Aug 14, 2024, 10:56 am

		0
Justice Minister Park Sung-jae announces special pardons issued by President Yoon Suk Yeol ahead of the National Liberation Day at the Central Government Complex in Seoul on Aug. 13, 2024./ Photographed by Park Sung-il

AsiaToday reporter Hong Sun-mi

In light of the National Liberation Day on Thursday, President Yoon Suk-yeol granted special pardons.

A total of 1,219 people were chosen as beneficiaries Tuesday, including Cho Yoon-sun, Hyun Ki-hwan and Ahn Jong-beom, all of whom served as senior presidential secretaries during the Park Geun-hye administration, as well as former National Intelligence Service director Won Sei-hoon who served a prison term for operating an online opinion rigging campaign. Former Gyeongsangnam-do Governor Kim Kyung-soo, a key figure from the main opposition who was convicted of manipulating an online comments section to help former President Moon Jae-in’s election, received the restoration of rights allowing him to return to politics.

Yoon authorized special pardons for a list of people approved by the Cabinet, including convicted politicians, business leaders and other offenders, in the lead-up to Liberation Day. This was the fifth time Yoon has granted special pardons since taking office in May 2022. The pardons will be effective Thursday.

“The government wants to provide an opportunity to end social conflicts and move toward the future in unity by granting pardons to those implicated in various opinion manipulation schemes across the political community,” Justice Minister Park Sung-jae said during a press briefing.

In addition to former Governor Kim, other figures related to public opinion manipulation cases, such as former National Police Agency Commissioner Generals Cho Hyun-oh and Kang Shin-myung will be pardoned and have their rights reinstated.

With reinstatement, Kim is now able to run for public office. In 2026 is the national local elections and in 2027 there is the next presidential election.

Kim was pardoned back in December 2022 after being sentenced to two years in 2021, but was prohibited from running for public office until December 2027.

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon said, “I think many people find it difficult to agree with the decision of Kim’s reinstatement.”

Lee Jae-myung, former chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), said, “The party members and I sincerely welcome former Governor Kim’s comeback.”

#Yoon Suk-yeol #special pardon #Liberation Day #Kim Kyung-soo