Ministry of Justice Begins Preparations for 'Gwangbokjeol Pardon'... Focus on Pardon for Lee Myung-bak and Lee Jae-yong

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The Ministry of Justice appears to have begun preliminary work ahead of the 'Liberation Day Special Pardon,' which will be the first special pardon since President Yoon Seok-yeol took office.

According to the legal community on the 18th, the Ministry of Justice is organizing reference materials on inmates to select candidates for the special pardon ahead of Liberation Day on August 15. The Ministry will receive a list of pardon candidates from local prosecutors' offices and hold a pardon review committee meeting next month to conduct the review.

The final pardoned individuals are expected to be approved at the Cabinet meeting and then announced directly by President Yoon just before Liberation Day.

Whether former President Lee Myung-bak will be included in this special pardon is a matter of interest. The ruling party has consistently argued that former President Lee should be pardoned since President Yoon was elected. President Yoon also left the possibility open when asked about pardoning former President Lee during his commute last month, saying, "It is not right to have someone serve more than twenty years in prison. Considering past precedents as well."

Former President Lee was sentenced to 17 years in prison for charges including embezzlement and bribery and was serving his sentence until he was temporarily released last month under a suspension of execution of the sentence.

Given the difficult domestic and international economic situation, there is also speculation that major business figures may be pardoned. In particular, the business community is strongly demanding the pardon of Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics, who was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison for the state affairs manipulation case and was released on parole.