"President Moon left MB for the pardon of former Governor Kim," claim
Kwon Seong-dong, a member of the People Power Party, mentioned the pardon issue of former President Lee Myung-bak. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Kwon Seong-dong, a member of the People Power Party, claimed regarding the pardon issue of former President Lee Myung-bak, "It is something that President Moon Jae-in left behind to save former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo," and "President Moon will pardon former Governor Kim together."
On the 15th, Kwon appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and, when asked about Lee's pardon, said, "Former President Park Geun-hye was pardoned, but not pardoning former President Lee Myung-bak, who is older and has a lighter sentence, is another form of political retaliation," adding, "I believe President Moon should make a decision on the pardon before leaving office."
When the host asked, "The Blue House sees the nature of the crimes as different," Kwon responded, "There is no difference in the nature of the crimes. I previously criticized in a media interview that 'President Moon left Lee Myung-bak behind to save and pardon Kim Kyung-soo, who is a close aide of President Moon. There is a political implication hidden in this.' Just wait and see. President Moon will pardon them together," he said.
He continued, "If they pardon former Governor Kim immediately, it might be criticized since the sentence was recently finalized at that time, so they couldn't do it," and added, "For whom did Kim violate the election law? Wasn't it for President Moon's election? Since it was for President Moon's benefit, from President Moon's perspective, he cannot just leave Kim alone. He must save him. I am 100% sure of that," he asserted.
Meanwhile, President Moon and President-elect Yoon Seok-youl are scheduled to have a luncheon meeting at noon on the 16th. It is known that President-elect Yoon will propose a pardon for Lee Myung-bak during this meeting.
Kim Eun-hye, spokesperson for the President-elect, said at a briefing at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 15th, "The two will have a private meeting and are expected to talk frankly without any attendants," adding, "President-elect Yoon has long held the view of requesting a pardon for former President Lee Myung-bak. Therefore, we hope this meeting will serve as an opportunity for national unity and harmony."
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