[Takryucheongron] Why Lee Nak-yeon's Pardon Proposal Is Right

Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, brought up the issue of ‘pardons’ for former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye at the very beginning of the new year. The debate over this is in full swing both inside and outside the political sphere. Within the Democratic Party, there are even calls for him to step down from his leadership position. Could it be that Lee was unaware of the backlash his pardon proposal would provoke? It is unlikely, given Lee’s excellent political judgment. He himself said that if he had only considered his own interests, there would have been no need to bring up pardons. In that case, it can be seen as a strategic ‘gamble’ by Lee.

The important thing is to understand the political message embedded in this gamble. Several strategic ‘moves’ overlap here. First, the next presidential election has become difficult to discuss without mentioning ‘national unity.’ As the ‘candlelight regime’ begins to fade, conflicts and clashes are intensifying everywhere. Extreme confrontations between factions, as well as malicious slander, distortion, and cynicism, are rampant. It is unacceptable to let the Moon Jae-in administration’s fifth year pass like this. At this rate, it would be hard to ask people to vote for the Democratic Party again in the next presidential election. There is neither justification nor dignity in doing so. Therefore, the call for unity should be seen as part of the ‘stabilization work’ in preparation for the next election. The appearance of the ruling party leader proposing it and President Moon Jae-in accepting it is not a bad look.

Second, by preemptively blocking the pardon debate that will intensify after the Supreme Court ruling, Lee gains the effect of setting the agenda. If the sentence against former President Park is confirmed immediately, calls for pardons will erupt inside and outside the political world. However, deciding at that point would already be too late. Whether the pardon demand is accepted or not, the opposition’s claims will inevitably dictate the discourse. If the pardon is rejected, the political arena will continue to fight over the issue for the entire year ahead. The Moon administration’s fifth year cannot be spent like this. To prevent this in advance and seize control of governance in the fifth year, it is necessary to first dominate the agenda of ‘pardons.’ Lee has taken on that responsibility. It is a gamble that prioritizes the regime’s interests over his own.

Third, Lee’s personal aspirations cannot be ignored. The biggest concern for a presidential candidate based in Honam is that the election unfolds as a ‘regional contest.’ This is because the population of Yeongnam is overwhelming. Therefore, a nationwide action that embraces Yeongnam’s sentiment is inevitable. Even if there is criticism, embracing the two former presidents based in Yeongnam is a mountain Lee must climb. Of course, it is uncertain how many votes from Yeongnam and centrists he will gain as a result. However, at the very least, efforts to prevent the next presidential election from becoming a Yeongnam-Honam regional showdown should not be disparaged. If regional conflict is even slightly reduced, it could be credited to Lee.

Voices criticizing Lee’s pardon proposal mainly come from progressive forces. Of course, centrist groups do not seem very favorable either. However, Lee’s effort to alleviate the political burden on the Moon administration first, even at the cost of enduring criticism against himself, should be highly appreciated. As a result, the overall landscape of the next presidential election for the Democratic Party will be less burdensome. Therefore, the pardon proposal is not something to be simply condemned; it is a strategic gamble that runs through Lee himself, the Democratic Party, and the entire Moon Jae-in administration.

Park Sang-byeong, Political Commentator

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