Kim Rahn is the managing editor of The Korea Times. Since joining the company in 2003, she has covered various beats including the presidential office, Seoul city government, the Bank of Korea and the tourism industry. In 2014, she won the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award for her coverage of the ordeals of migrant women in Korea.
Lee facing internal protest over pardon remark
Ruling Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Rep. Lee Nak-yon, right, heads to his office at the National Assembly, Seoul, before a Supreme Council meeting of the party, Sunday. Yonhap
By Kim Rahn
By Kim Rahn
Rep. Lee Nak-yon, the head of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), is facing internal backlash from party members over his recent remark on proposing pardons for jailed former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye.
Many party members are reacting negatively, saying the two former conservative presidents have never made a proper apology for their crimes and pardoning them would bring public protest rather than national unity.
Lee's sudden proposal of pardons is widely seen as a part of his efforts to boost his falling favorability rating as a potential presidential candidate by gaining support from centrist and conservative voters. But it is also said his idea could backfire and lose him support from ardent liberal voters.
In a New Year interview with local news agencies, Lee said he would propose pardons for the two former heads of state at an appropriate time to promote reconciliation and overcome the ideological gap between liberals and conservatives.
While the unexpected remark brought mixed responses from the opposition bloc, strong protest has rather come from within the DPK and from DPK supporters.
Rep. Jung Chung-rae of the ruling party wrote on Facebook that the two former presidents have not apologized to the people or sought forgiveness for their wrongdoing. “Forgiveness and tolerance are given neither by the perpetrators, nor by the government: they should be given by the victims and the people. Forgiveness and tolerance are made when the perpetrators truly reflect on their wrongdoing and a national consensus is formed,” Jung wrote.
“Above all, the people who have staged the candlelit vigils to oust Park are not ready to forgive them and they have never thought about it.”
Rep. An Min-suk cited the 1997 pardon of former President Chun Doo-hwan who had been convicted of treason and bribery. Chun, whose charges included the military suppression of civilians during 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy movement, still denies the allegations against him.
“Pardoning Chun did not help disclose the truth about the Gwangju movement but became a stumbling block to reconciliation. We soon came to regret releasing him so quickly in the name of forgiveness,” An wrote on Facebook.
Rep. Woo Sang-ho also said pardons could be misunderstood as the ruling bloc admitting the claims from the conservatives that the impeachment of Park and the court decisions on the two former presidents were wrong.
Some others also pointed out it was inappropriate for the ruling party head to mention pardons at this time.
Chu Jin-hyung, a Supreme Council member of the minor liberal Open Minjoo Party, said giving pardons is the President's own authority and Lee should have made the proposal on pardons to President Moon privately, not openly like this.
“If Moon grants the pardons after Lee, the ruling party head and one of the prospective presidential candidates, made the open proposal, it will look like the pardons are given because of Lee,” Chu wrote on Facebook. “If Moon gets any credit through the pardons, Lee will intercept the credit. If Moon loses any political interest through the pardons, Lee will take the interest instead.”
As the controversy continued, Lee convened an unscheduled Supreme Council meeting, Sunday, to explain his stance on the pardon issue to other members of the party leadership. After the meeting, the participants said Lee and Park undertaking self-reflection on the matter is the most important issue and the leadership would follow party member opinion.