Lee to hold extraordinary Cabinet meeting Monday to decide on pardon for ex-Justice Minister Cho

Cho Kuk, second from right, former leader of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, speaks to his supporters in front of the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, before beginning his two-year prison term on charges of academic fraud involving his children and unlawful interference with a government inspection, Dec. 16, 2024. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

President Lee Jae Myung will preside over an extraordinary Cabinet meeting early this week to determine special pardons, his office said Sunday, amid growing speculation that he may grant a presidential pardon to former Justice Minister Cho Kuk.

The Cabinet meeting will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, with the review and potential approval of matters related to special pardons, reinstatements and other considerations for clemency expected to be the focus, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a message to reporters.

It is widely expected that Lee will make a decision on whether to grant a presidential pardon to Cho, who launched the minor Rebuilding Korea Party ahead of the general elections in April last year.

Cho has reportedly been included on the potential list of beneficiaries of presidential pardons, raising the possibility of his early release from prison.

Cho is currently serving a two-year prison term following a conviction on academic fraud charges involving his children and unlawful interference with a government inspection.

Presidents usually grant special pardons to mark major national holidays, including Liberation Day on Aug. 15, the anniversary of Korea's independence from Japan's 1910–45 colonial rule.