Yoon grants amnesty to ex-President Lee, ex-Governor Kim

President Yoon Suk-yeol bangs the gavel to start a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of presidential office

Former governor released on parole without being reinstated, ignites furious reactions from opposition party

By Nam Hyun-woo

President Yoon Suk-yeol has granted a special pardon to former conservative President Lee Myung-bak, former liberal South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo and several other political heavyweights for the sake of "national unity."

The former governor was released on parole without being reinstated, triggering furious reactions from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). It accused President Yoon of granting "random pardons" for "corrupt politicians" and the "illicit collaborators" who destroyed law and order to fulfill their own greed.

During a Cabinet meeting, Yoon approved a list of convicted people serving jail terms to give them special pardons, commutation and reinstatement. The list includes 1,373 convicted individuals, including nine politicians and 66 public officials.

"We have carefully reviewed those who were included in the list," Yoon said during the Cabinet meeting. "I hope this special pardon will be an opportunity to bring the Korean public together."

Following the approval, those pardoned will be released from jail on midnight Wednesday.

Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said the amnesty can help the nation end decades of confrontations and clashes, so it can move forward based on a consensus. "I hope that those who were pardoned can also understand the messages of harmony and tolerance deep in their hearts," he said.

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon speaks during a press conference on special amnesty at Government Complex in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Former President Lee Myung-bak / Yonhap

Among those pardoned, the most high-profile figure is former President Lee, whose 17-year prison sentence for bribery and embezzlement was put on hold in June due to his chronic illnesses. The pardon for the 81-year-old former president will cancel the remaining 15 years of his term.

After his release, Lee will be fully reinstated and exempted from paying the remaining 8.2 billion won ($6.48 million) of his 13-billion-won fine. An official at the presidential office said, "It was a decision aimed at national cohesion, considering the symbolic status of the former president."

Former President Lee has long been mentioned as a beneficiary of presidential pardons, but it took time for him to be freed. In Yoon's first pardon on the occasion of Aug. 15 National Liberation Day, the president pardoned 1,693 people, but did not include Lee.

Though Lee will not be returning to the political frontline, anticipation is growing about his message after being released, given his importance to conservatives.

Given that the conservative bloc has been in a factional fight between those loyal to Lee and others close to Lee's predecessor, Park Geun-hye, who was pardoned on Dec. 31 last year, the two former presidents' cohesive message could be a boost for conservatives to unite, a former ruling People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker said on condition of anonymity.

Along with Lee, the terms of former conservative lawmaker Kim Sung-tae and former senior presidential secretary for political affairs Jun Byung-hun were invalidated.

Among high-ranking government officials, former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo was pardoned, but not reinstated.

Kim, who was serving a two-year prison term on an opinion-rigging charge, is described as one of the closest aides to Yoon's liberal predecessor, former President Moon Jae-in, when Kim and Moon were both secretaries for former liberal President Roh Moo-hyun.

Former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo / Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seog

Kim, who is still pleading not guilty, stirred controversy earlier this month with his letter insisting that he does not want to leave prison on parole, even before the government had reviewed the possibility of pardoning or putting him on parole. The letter was interpreted as him demanding either a pardon plus reinstatement or to stay in prison until the end of his term in May of next year.

As the government decided to release Kim without reinstatement, Kim will be barred from running for election until May 2028, meaning that he has to miss the 2024 general election, 2026 local elections and 2027 presidential election.

Along with Kim, several big names were among the list of pardoned or commuted former government officials.

Former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan, who was serving a five-year term on charges of bribery, was pardoned and reinstated. Former National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Won Sei-hoon, who was serving a 14-year term on charges including opinion rigging, saw his remaining term commuted to half.

Also, former President Park's key aides, Chief of Staff Kim Gi-chun and senior secretary for civil affairs Woo Byung-woo, were reinstated. They served prison terms due to their involvement in Park's corruption scandal, which resulted in Park's impeachment. Ironically, President Yoon, who was the nation's prosecutor general then, was in charge of their investigations.

"This presidential pardon heralds the resurrection of corruption and deep-rooted evils," main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) spokesperson Rep. Park Sung-joon said. "Yoon, who gained popularity with his efforts to drain the swamp, will manage the state affairs inside the swamp."

Regarding former Governor Kim's amnesty without reinstatement, Park said, "President Yoon treated equally a criminal who has more than a 10-year term remaining and a person who will be soon released. If this is Yoon's interpretation of fairness, we say that is shameless."

On the other hand, the ruling PPP said, "The special pardon shows President Yoon's commitment to national unity," and, "It is deplorable that the DPK is judging the decision with its archaic political perspective."

Also included on the list of those pardoned was the incumbent First Deputy Director of National Security Kim Tae-hyo. In October, Kim was convicted on charges of violating the Military Secret Protection Act, with a sentence on him being suspended. Following the pardon, Kim's conviction was invalidated.