Lee Myung-bak and Ahn Hee-jung to Spend This Chuseok Outside... Jung Kyung-shim Likely to Spend Without Family Visits

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] This Chuseok holiday, many political figures are drawing attention by spending the holiday outside of detention centers.

First, former President Lee Myung-bak will spend the Chuseok holiday at home with his family for the first time in a while.

Earlier, on June 28, the execution of Lee’s sentence was suspended for three months. The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, which has jurisdiction over Anyang Prison where Lee was incarcerated, explained that the suspension was decided "due to concerns that continued imprisonment would severely harm his health." Lee suffered from chronic illnesses such as diabetes and bronchitis while incarcerated. The suspension of his sentence execution lasts until the end of this month.

Former Chungnam Governor Ahn Hee-jung, who served his sentence at Yeoju Prison, was released on August 4 after completing his full term and will spend the Chuseok holiday outside. Ahn was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting his secretary.

During his imprisonment, he temporarily received sentence suspension and was released briefly due to the deaths of his mother in July 2020 and his father in March of this year.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Jeong Gyeong-sim, former professor at Dongyang University, who is serving a 4-year prison sentence at Seoul Detention Center for charges including admission fraud involving her children, is expected to spend Chuseok without visits from her family, including her husband, former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk. The Correction Headquarters announced that during this Chuseok holiday period, all correctional facilities nationwide will suspend all visits, including phone and face-to-face meetings, for all inmates.

Jeong applied for suspension of sentence execution due to health reasons, but on August 18, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office denied the request. A review committee chaired by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Park Ki-dong comprehensively examined the submitted documents, on-site investigation results, and opinions from medical advisory members, concluding that suspension of sentence execution is not possible at this stage.