By Kang Hyun-kyung
The ruling camp and the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NAPD) have played a blame game as to who flexed his or her muscles to grant a pardon to Sung Woan-jong.
The politicians cited as having been involved in the decision are now claiming they know nothing about it and pointed to others in trying to identify who was responsible for pardoning Sung. The timing of the pardon has made it difficult to determine whose claims are true.
The late businessman was pardoned in January 2008, a month before the incoming President Lee Myung-bak took power.
NPAD leader Moon Jae-in, who then served as chief of the presidential staff under the outgoing Roh Moo-hyun government, claimed that he was not part of the decision. During a news conference on April 23, he pointed to unspecified Lee aides, saying the Lee government should have known who recommended that Sung be pardoned.
Moon reiterated the NPAD’s position that the presidential transition team at that time requested that the outgoing Roh government include Sung on the list of people to be pardoned. Some opposition lawmakers pointed to president-elect Lee and his brother Lee Sang-deuk as two people who would know about the decision.
The two Lees denied the allegation. In an interview, former lawmaker Lee voiced concerns about the allegations and said he was not involved in pardoning Sung. “What made you believe that I was part of it? I don’t think Sung was such an important person that I had to heed his request.”
Those who were involved in the presidential transition team also denied they were responsible. “There were no people on the transition team who were able to find time to make such an absurd request to the outgoing government,” an official who was involved on the team said in an interview. “What Moon or his party said about the role of the presidential team is a lie and not based on facts.”
Moon’s remarks also invited a slew of criticism from the ruling Saenuri Party. Its leader, Kim Moo-sung, said Moon’s press conference had generated fresh suspicions regarding Sung’s pardon rather than clearing them.
During a meeting with senior Saenuri Party lawmakers, three-term lawmaker Lee Koon-hyon demanded that Moon disclose the name of the person he said recommended Sung be included on the pardon list and how he came to be pardoned.
Rep. Lee claimed pardoning Sung was a wrong decision, demanding Moon offer a public apology for being part of the decision because he was then in the chain of command at Cheong Wa Dae.
Rep. Kweon Seong-dong criticized Moon for his remarks that the Roh government never pardoned people in exchange for money. “I am wondering what prompted him to make such careless remarks,” he said. “No one has linked pardons to cash. I am suspicious of his motives regarding the remarks.”
The NPAD fired back at the Saenuri Party. Rep. Woo Yoon-keun said the Saenuri Party tried to find fault with Moon because the party wanted to turn the tide.