Hong Jun-pyo: "President Moon will face a boomerang effect"... Repeated calls for pardon continue

Independent lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo attended as a speaker at the Mapo Forum, a gathering of current and former People Power Party lawmakers including Kim Moo-sung, on the 18th, delivering a lecture titled "Dreaming Korea." Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] Independent lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo has been repeatedly demanding the pardon of former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye.

On the 18th, Hong posted on his Facebook, advocating for the pardon of former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, stating, "President Moon Jae-in, who set the precedent that presidential acts of governance can be subject to investigation and judicial review, will face an inescapable boomerang effect regardless of who succeeds him after his term."

Hong continued, "President Moon Jae-in used the prosecution to detain former President Park Geun-hye, whose acts were mostly acts of governance, through public opinion manipulation, and also detained former President Lee Myung-bak without evidence." He also mentioned, "Presidential acts of governance, regardless of legality, were not subject to judicial review according to precedent and legal common sense," and "That is why former President Kim Dae-jung was neither investigated nor punished in the North Korea remittance case."

Hong stated, "During the early investigation of the 'North Korea remittance' case under President Roh Moo-hyun, only Park Ji-won was detained, and former President Kim Dae-jung, who ordered the remittance, was not even investigated," adding, "At that time, Moon Jae-in, then the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs at the Blue House, likely judged it as a presidential act of governance." He further claimed, "Former President Park was accused of crimes for acts of governance that should not have been subject to investigation, and former President Lee was politically retaliated against solely out of personal animosity toward former President Roh."

He then emphasized, "Therefore, I now urge for politics of reconciliation and harmony; please stop acting out of emotion and pardon the two former presidents," adding, "That would be desirable for the future as well."

Meanwhile, Hong had posted the previous day urging, "Pardon the two former presidents now." In this Facebook post, he also urged, "Although late, I hope for a government of reconciliation and harmony."