By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter

Cheong Wa Dae announced a sweeping amnesty Tuesday for convicted business leaders, including the head of Hyundai Motor, saying the move will help encourage the business community to redouble its efforts to revive the economy.

Liberal opposition parties and civic groups strongly criticized businessman-turned-president Lee for ``abusing'' his authority of special amnesty for political purposes.

They argued the business-friendly Lee administration is not serious about cleaning up the country's corporate culture.

Lee, who had served as a chief executive officer of Hyundai Engineering & Construction, took office in February as the nation's first leader from a corporate background.

In all, the special pardon covered a total of 341,864 people, including 328,335 bureaucrats, 1,902 persons who breached the Election Law, 74 leading businessman and those convicted of minor traffic offenses, according to the Ministry of Justice.

Lee granted amnesty to about 2.8 million people, mostly traffic offenders, in June.

Tuesday's pardon was granted on the occasion of the 63rd Liberation Day that falls on Aug. 15 as well as the 60th anniversary of the nation's founding, it said.

Among the high-profile business tycoons include Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Mong-koo, SK Energy Chairman Chey Tae-won and Hanwha Group chairman Kim Seung-youn, who were convicted of crimes such as fraud, embezzlement and assault.

Most of the pardoned businessmen were already out on bail after receiving suspended jail terms.

Former Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who received a suspended jail sentence earlier this year for tax evasion and is appealing the ruling, was not included on the list of those to be pardoned because his sentence has yet to be determined.

``Today's special amnesty is intended to create an opportunity for the ordinary people and businessmen to join forces to help achieve social harmony and accelerate the government's efforts to revive the economy and create jobs on the occasion of the 60th national founding anniversary,'' Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said.

The President made the ``difficult'' decision because of the fact that the CEOs are having problems doing business overseas and that investor sentiment is hardly robust, though he himself was against the process, said the spokesman.

Against the backdrop, President Lee wanted to pardon those business leaders who committed crimes prior to the inauguration of his government, according to the spokesman.

``President Lee is determined not to pardon businessmen who were convicted or are on trial for crimes committed after the start of his presidency,'' he added. ``The President also said he hoped his special pardon of top business leaders boosts corporate investment.

The country's business lobby groups hailed Lee's decision, while liberal opposition parties and civic activists criticized Lee for abusing his authority of special amnesty for political purposes.

``We welcome the special pardon,'' the Federation of Korean Industries said in a statement. ``Businessmen will make more efforts to create more jobs and boost capital spending for economic growth.''

The Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the special pardon will help boost transparent corporate governance and ethical management.

The main opposition Democratic Party condemned the extensive amnesty, arguing Lee was pandering to business circles by bending the law. It noted the governing Grand National Party initiated the revision of the amnesty law aimed at restricting the presidential power to grant pardon last year when it was a main opposition party under the previous Roh Moo-hyun government.

With the revision, the conservative party formed a special amnesty inspection committee authorized to screen candidates for presidential pardons.

Roh was often criticized for abusing his authority of special amnesty during his tenure. Roh gave special pardons to many political confidants who had violated Election Law or had been involved in illegal fund-raising during the 2002 presidential campaign, such as Chyung Dai-chul.

Special pardons that can abolish sentences handed down to certain people are the President's right as authorized by the Constitution. Some Presidents, however, have often abused the system, especially during previous authoritarian governments, as a means of enabling preferential judicial treatment for their followers.

South Korean judges have a long record of leniency toward bosses of chaebol ― giant family-run conglomerates ― and other prominent white-collar criminals. Many of them subsequently receive pardons.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr