Min Hyungbae: "Cho Kuk's Pardon Symbolizes the End of Insurrection"

"Cho Kuk, Victimized by Political Prosecutors...
The Issue Must Be Resolved Politically"

Min Hyungbae, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, assessed that the pardon and reinstatement of former Innovation Party leader Cho Kuk carries symbolic significance for the end of insurrection.

Former Cho Kuk, former leader of the Innovation Party. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

On August 8, appearing on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyunjeong's News Show," Min stated, "If you look at the roots of the insurrection, it was political prosecutors, and ultimately, they seized presidential power and brought us to this point." He added, "There is no doubt that former leader Cho was a victim in that process."

He said, "About a week before Cho was set to attend his confirmation hearing as Minister of Justice, the prosecution conducted simultaneous raids at more than 20 locations," and added, "After that, the Cho family was ruthlessly targeted." He further pointed out, "This was a politically orchestrated rampage by political prosecutors."

Min continued, "Regardless of whether any crimes were proven or not, the investigation into Cho's family was strongly politically motivated," and said, "I believe there is a need to resolve this matter politically, and one possible means is a pardon."

Regarding concerns within the Democratic Party about Cho's pardon, he said, "Public support for the pardon is quite high. In particular, support in Gwangju and Jeonnam is high, with 70% in favor of the pardon." He added, "Religious circles, civil society, and even former presidents continue to speak about the need for a pardon," and said, "How this is received is part of the political process and should influence the decision on who is granted a pardon."

Meanwhile, in a poll commissioned by Straight News and conducted by JoWonCNI, a polling agency, from August 2 to 3, among 803 men and women aged 18 or older residing in Gwangju Metropolitan City, 75.9% responded in favor of Cho's pardon, while 18.5% were opposed.

The survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire via wireless ARS (100.0%), with a response rate of 6.7% and a margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. The sample was extracted using proportional allocation by gender, region, and age, followed by random sampling. Statistical weighting was applied based on gender, age, and region according to resident registration population data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety as of the end of July 2025. For more details, refer to the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.