President Yoon on MB Pardon Debate: "Isn't Spending Over Twenty Years in Prison Unreasonable?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] President Yoon Suk-yeol said on the 9th regarding the special pardon for former President Lee Myung-bak, "I think it is not right to have someone imprisoned for more than twenty years. Considering past precedents."

President Yoon made this remark on his way to the Yongsan office in the morning when asked by reporters, "Is your statement during the presidential election campaign that a pardon for former President Lee is necessary still valid?"

This response from President Yoon goes a step further than his statement made the previous day.

During the presidential campaign, President Yoon had expressed his intention to pardon former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, but on the way to work the previous day, he showed a cautious attitude, saying, "This is not a matter to be discussed now."

Former President Lee recently applied for a suspension of sentence execution due to deteriorating health.

Some speculate that regardless of the correctional authorities' decision on the suspension of sentence execution, President Yoon may grant a pardon on the occasion of the August 15 Liberation Day.