Kim Jong-in "Pardon Should Be Decided by the President... No Conditions Attached"

Kim Jong-in, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is conducting an interview with KBS. Photo by KBS News capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-eun] Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, said on the 5th regarding the pardons of former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, "If the president decides to grant a pardon, then that is enough; it is not right to attach conditions or stipulations."

Chairman Kim appeared on 'KBS' news that day and said, "Currently, the two former presidents are undergoing legal judgment, and I believe it depends on how the incumbent president makes a decision regarding that."

He continued, "South Korea is a country governed by the rule of law, and since trials have been or are being conducted based on the law, I think it is not appropriate to argue back and forth about that."

He added, "I believe the incumbent president has all kinds of information, so if he judges based on the information he has that a pardon is necessary at this point, then once he makes that decision, that is enough. There is no need to discuss anything beyond or below that."

Regarding the Seoul mayoral by-election, Chairman Kim said, "I do not oppose unification," and added, "I think it would be best if the opposition parties could negotiate and unify just before the final candidate registration."

He continued, "Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, announced his candidacy for Seoul mayor first and expressed hope to run as the unified candidate. Nearly ten candidates from the People Power Party have applied to run for mayor, and the party's goal is to select the most suitable candidate from among them. It is not the time to discuss other issues now," he said.

Finally, Chairman Kim emphasized, "The unfavorable views toward the People Power Party have significantly decreased compared to the past. Since the People Power Party is continuing political change, I believe we will be able to seize an opportunity."

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