[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The government has reportedly begun reviewing a special New Year's pardon around Christmas, drawing attention to whether key figures in politics and business currently serving prison sentences will be released.
According to political and legal circles on the 4th, the Presidential Office has started practical reviews regarding the New Year's pardon. If a decision is made this week on whether to carry out the pardon, the Ministry of Justice is expected to schedule the pardon review committee meeting. The pardon is an exclusive authority of the president, guaranteed by Article 79 of the Constitution. Once the president decides to grant a pardon, the Pardon Review Committee under the Ministry of Justice first reviews the candidates, and after the results are finalized, the Minister of Justice submits the recommendations to the president. The president then makes the final decision.
In political circles, there are calls for pardons for former President Lee Myung-bak and former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo.
Former President Lee was sentenced to 17 years in prison and fined 13 billion won for charges including receiving large bribes from Samsung Group and embezzling company funds. He was temporarily released on June 28, after 1 year and 7 months of imprisonment, due to a suspension of sentence execution. On September 23, the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office extended the suspension for three more months. If not extended further, former President Lee must return to the detention center by the end of this month. He is currently receiving outpatient treatment at his home in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Former Governor Kim was sentenced to two years in prison by the Supreme Court last July for being the main perpetrator in the ‘Druking comment manipulation case’ and is currently serving his sentence. According to his sentence, he is scheduled to be released in May next year. Having served about 60% of his term, he has recently been mentioned several times as a candidate for parole, but was deemed ineligible by the review committee and has not been released.
Depending on President Yoon's political decision, there is a possibility that former President Lee and former Governor Kim could be released. The government could release former President Lee citing 'national unity' as a reason. President Yoon also strongly hinted at the possibility of pardoning former President Lee during a door-stepping interview (morning Q&A) in early June, saying, "Considering past precedents, it is not appropriate for someone to serve more than twenty years in prison."
There is an analysis that releasing former Governor Kim could be a card to shake the main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea. Through Kim, the pro-Moon (친문) faction could be consolidated, potentially threatening the current ruling faction of the Democratic Party led by Lee Jae-myung.
The scale of pardons for business figures is also a point of interest. President Yoon pardoned many corporate heads during the Liberation Day special pardon on August 12. Among those pardoned were Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics; Shin Dong-bin, Chairman of Lotte Group; Jang Se-ju, Chairman of Dongkuk Steel; and Kang Deok-soo, former Chairman of STX Group.
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