Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
President Yoon to make last-minute decision on who to be pardoned
Former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo, who is currently serving two years behind bars for opinion rigging, is being considered for President Yoon Suk-yeol's special pardons at the end of the year. Korea Times file
By Kwon Mee-yoo
By Kwon Mee-yoo
President Yoon Suk-yeol is pondering over a list of people to be pardoned. Among others, Yoon was recommended to pardon former President Lee Myung-bak and former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo.
Unlike Lee who was recommended to be pardoned along with reinstatement, if the justice ministry committee's decision is accepted, Kim will be released on parole.
Yoon's list of people to be pardoned will be confirmed and unveiled on Tuesday during a Cabinet meeting.
Earlier, Kim released a handwritten statement on social media urging Yoon to fully pardon him, instead of releasing him on parole. His wife had uploaded a photocopy of her husband's letter to social media after receiving it from him.
Kim, a close aide of former President Moon Jae-in, was sentenced to two years in prison on opinion rigging charges in July 2021 and originally expected to be released in May 2023. If the media reports are true, Kim is expected to be released five months early without being instated.
Kim's inclusion in the presidential pardons is reportedly intended as a gesture of "national cohesion," as he is a member of the liberal bloc, while former President Lee is from the conservative bloc. It is a political custom for politicians from different sides to be granted clemency together.
However, when the news of his possible parole came out, Kim's wife posted a handwritten letter from Kim on Facebook that he opposes being granted a parole, Dec. 13.
Kim claimed that he does not meet the conditions for parole, which requires "clear indications of regret."
"I have already conveyed my intention to the Changwon Prison several times that I cannot accept the pardon as I have been insisting on my innocence from the beginning. Nevertheless, regardless of my intention, the review of parole is underway and is causing unnecessary misunderstandings. So I want to make it clear once again. I don't want parole," Kim wrote.
Despite Kim's objection, he was included in the review for a special presidential pardon, Friday, alongside former President Lee and former President Park Geun-hye's chief of staff Kim Ki-chun. The review committee recommended Yoon release Kim early without reinstating him.
Kim insists he be pardoned, not released on parole, because if he is not reinstated, he cannot run in elections until 2028.
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) claimed that Kim's parole is merely political balancing to justify the pardon of former President Lee who has over 15 years left on his original prison sentence.
“Former President Lee is a criminal who was imprisoned after being sentenced to 17 years in prison, with a fine of 13 billion won and an additional collection charge of 5.78 billion won on the charges of embezzlement and bribery. Former President Lee is the one who should admit his mistakes and ask for forgiveness from the people," Ahn Gwi-ryeong, a deputy spokesperson of the DPK, said during a briefing at the National Assembly.
Rep. Jang Dong-hyuk of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) said Kim is exaggerating his political presence comparing himself to a former president, stressing Kim is just a criminal.
"Former Governor Kim received a conclusive judgment from the Supreme Court for a serious crime of manipulating public opinion. What is he so proud of?" Jang said in a statement, Saturday.
“Former Governor Kim should not trade his remaining five months in prison for a political resurgence.”