[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Former President Lee Myung-bak (81), who is being mentioned as a likely candidate for the year-end special pardon, has decided not to apply for an extension of his medical parole period.
Lee’s legal representative stated on the 15th, "Although former President Lee is being considered as a candidate for the special pardon, even if he is not included, he will not apply for an extension this time. His health has neither significantly improved nor worsened, so he plans to monitor his health condition while serving his sentence in prison."
Former President Lee’s medical parole is scheduled to expire on the 28th. The extension application can be submitted until the 20th.
Lee, who is serving his sentence at Anyang Prison, applied for an extension of his medical parole to the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office Anyang Branch in June due to "health reasons," and the prosecution decided on a three-month medical parole on the 28th of the same month. Accordingly, Lee was temporarily released after serving 1 year and 7 months of his sentence, which was confirmed as 17 years imprisonment for charges including embezzlement and bribery.
Ahead of the expiration of his medical parole, Lee applied for an extension in September, which was also accepted. He is currently receiving outpatient treatment at his residence in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
The Ministry of Justice plans to hold a pardon review committee on the 23rd to review candidates for the year-end special pardon under the Yoon Seok-youl administration. The pardon review committee will finalize the list of candidates and report it to President Yoon, who holds the pardon authority. The pardoned individuals are expected to be granted clemency at midnight on the 28th, following a Cabinet meeting presided over by the Prime Minister on the 27th.
Political and legal circles both inside and outside the government view the possibility of Lee’s pardon as high.
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