First Pardon Review Committee Under Lee Jaemyung Administration
Business Figures Including Choi Shinwon Also Named
From the Opposition: Jeong Chanmin, Hong Moonjong, Sim Hakbong, and Others
The pardon review committee, convened for the first time since the inauguration of the Lee Jaemyung administration, is reported to have included former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, former Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Heeyeon, and former Democratic Party lawmaker Choi Kangwook on the special Liberation Day pardon list. Among business figures, former SK Networks Chairman Choi Shinwon was also named.
According to legal sources on the 7th, the Ministry of Justice's pardon review committee held a meeting at the Gwacheon Government Complex that afternoon and began reviewing candidates for the Liberation Day special pardon. Minister of Justice Jeong Seongho will submit the list to the President, and the final decision will be made at the Cabinet meeting on the 12th. Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk was sentenced to two years in prison last December for charges including children's college admission fraud and cover-up of Blue House inspection, and is currently serving his sentence. He has more than one year remaining on his sentence and is scheduled for release in December next year.
On December 12 last year, Cho Kuk, former leader of the Innovation Party, who was sentenced to two years in prison by the Supreme Court on charges including 'child admission corruption' and 'cover-up of Blue House inspection,' is attending a press conference held at the National Assembly. Photo by Kim Hyunmin
Former lawmaker Choi Kangwook was also included on the pardon list. He was indicted in 2017 for issuing a false internship certificate to the son of former Minister Cho Kuk, and last year the Supreme Court finalized a sentence of eight months in prison suspended for two years, resulting in the loss of his parliamentary seat. Former Superintendent Cho Heeyeon was found guilty of attempting to unlawfully hire five dismissed teachers, and last year received a suspended sentence of one year and six months in prison, leading to his resignation as superintendent.
Former lawmakers Jeong Chanmin, Hong Moonjong, and Sim Hakbong were also included on the list. Recently, it was revealed by the media that Song Eonseok, acting chairman of the People Power Party's emergency committee, recommended these individuals via text message to Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hunsik, causing controversy.
Former lawmaker Jeong Chanmin was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined 500 million won for accepting bribes in exchange for administrative favors during his tenure as mayor of Yongin. Former lawmaker Hong Moonjong was sentenced to four years and six months in prison for embezzling school foundation funds totaling 7.5 billion won. Former lawmaker Sim Hakbong was sentenced to four years and three months in prison for receiving large sums of money under the pretext of facilitating government SME support projects.
On the other hand, former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor for Peace Lee Hwayoung, who was recently sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison for bribery involving Ssangbangwool and conspiracy to transfer funds to North Korea, was excluded from the list. This is interpreted as an effort to avoid political controversy, especially since the President's own trial related to this case is currently suspended.
Former Chairman Choi Shinwon was also included on the pardon list. He was indicted for embezzlement and breach of trust totaling 223.5 billion won from six SK Group affiliates, under charges including private golf course development, false salaries for relatives, and support for insolvent affiliates. In May, he was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
In addition, a significant number of construction union and Cargo Truckers Solidarity members, who were arrested during mass strikes under the Yoon Sukyeol administration, are also reported to be included in this round of pardons.
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