Ahn Min-seok: "I Cannot Agree with 'Blind Amnesty'... Loyal Supporters Will Flee"

Ahn Min-seok, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is holding a press conference on the 23rd at the National Assembly to propose the Choi Cheol-won Prohibition Act. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Wondara] An Min-seok, a five-term senior member of the Democratic Party of Korea, expressed disagreement with Lee Nak-yeon, the Democratic Party leader's proposal for the pardon of former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, calling it a "blind pardon."

In a CBS radio interview on the morning of the 4th, Representative An said, "It is surprising that the pardon and rehabilitation were raised without communication with the public and party members," adding, "I cannot agree with a blind pardon."

He stated, "Our people have experienced significant trauma through Jeon Du-hwan. We pardoned Jeon Du-hwan, who showed no remorse, and look at how much the people and history suffered," and questioned, "If upon release from prison the first words are that justice and truth have prevailed, does that mean the people were wrong?"

He continued, "Especially with the upcoming launch of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), there is hope that issues like the Sewol ferry truth and hidden illicit assets will be resolved. The call for pardon and rehabilitation is like pouring cold water on these expectations. It is a rather embarrassing situation even for himself," he said.

He also pointed out, "This is a very unfavorable agenda for the Democratic Party ahead of the election. In elections, it is important to first consolidate the support base, but there is significant backlash from party members regarding this pardon proposal. It seems the core supporters are about to leave."

However, Representative An said, "I understand that Leader Lee has been contemplating this issue since his time as Prime Minister. I believe he has a sense of mission to achieve national unity." Regarding calls within the party to no-confidence Leader Lee, he said, "The lawmakers are not at that level yet. I believe the situation has calmed down following yesterday's Supreme Council meeting."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.