Possibility of Including Many Businesspeople as Special Envoy Targets... Strong Public Opinion for Lifting Lee Jae-yong's 'Employment Restriction'
Possibility of Pardoning Former President Lee Myung-bak and Former Governor Kim Kyung-soo... Expectation to Minimize Politicians
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Kyung-jun] The Ministry of Justice’s pardon review committee will hold a meeting on the 9th for the first special pardon since the launch of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. The pardon review committee was scheduled to start at 9 a.m. that day, but due to heavy rain concentrated in the metropolitan area, it was decided to start two hours later.
The Ministry of Justice will hold the pardon review meeting at the Government Complex Gwacheon from 11 a.m. to review candidates for the August 15 Liberation Day special pardon. The pardon review committee consists of a total of nine members: four internal officials from the Ministry of Justice and prosecution, including Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon and Vice Minister Lee No-gong, and five external members.
After the pardon review committee narrows down the candidates through discussion, Minister Han will report the results to President Yoon Seok-yeol. The pardon announcement is expected to be made on the 12th, ahead of Liberation Day.
It is known that a large number of businesspeople are likely to be included among the special pardon recipients. Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong of Samsung Electronics, Chairman Shin Dong-bin of Lotte Group, Chairman Park Chan-gu of Kumho Petrochemical, and Chairman Lee Jung-geun of Booyoung Group are highly likely to be included in the pardon list. Vice Chairman Lee was serving a 2-year and 6-month prison sentence confirmed in the ‘state affairs manipulation case’ and was released on parole last August 15 Liberation Day. Although his sentence ended on the 29th of last month, he is subject to a five-year employment restriction, so reinstatement through a pardon is necessary for normal business activities.
According to an indicator released by the polling agency ‘Data & Research,’ which analyzed big data from online postings over the past three months, 63% of the public supported Vice Chairman Lee’s pardon. In the National Barometer Survey (NBS) conducted by Embrain Public, K-stat Research, Korea Research, and Hankook Research from the 25th to 27th of last month targeting 1,006 adults nationwide, 77% of respondents supported Vice Chairman Lee’s pardon.
Among politicians, former President Lee Myung-bak is reportedly likely to be included in the pardon list. There is also speculation about the pardon possibility of former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo, who is serving time for the ‘Druking comment manipulation case,’ but since public opinion on pardoning politicians is unfavorable, it is expected that the number of political pardons will be minimized.
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