"Amnesty Needed" vs "Reflection First": What Do You Think About Park Geun-hye's Pardon?

Former President Park Geun-hye Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison
Lee Nak-yeon: "Respect Party's Position That Public Sympathy and Self-Reflection Are Important"
Ahn Min-seok: "No Need to Discuss Pardon Further"
People Power Party: "Pardon Unconditionally for National Unity"

Former President Park Geun-hye, who was prosecuted on charges including state power abuse and the bribery of the National Intelligence Service's special activity funds, was finally sentenced to 20 years in prison on the 14th. The photo shows former President Park Geun-hye getting off the transport vehicle and heading to the courtroom to attend a continuation trial at the Seoul Central District Court in September 2017. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-eun] As former President Park Geun-hye received an expanded prison sentence ruling from the Supreme Court, meeting the conditions for a special pardon, the political sphere is fiercely debating whether to apply the pardon. The ruling party is showing various disagreements surrounding the pardon, while the opposition party insists that a pardon should be granted as a matter of respect for the former president.

On the previous day (the 14th), the Supreme Court's 3rd Division (Presiding Justice No Tae-ak) announced that it upheld the original sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of 18 billion KRW in the retrial of former President Park, who was indicted on charges including bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. Including the already confirmed 2-year sentence for interference in the Saenuri Party (now People Power Party) nomination process, former President Park will be released only upon completion of a total 22-year sentence in 2039.

Since receiving a sentence meets the conditions for a pardon, various opinions are once again circulating in the political sphere regarding former President Park's ruling.

Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said at the National Assembly on the day, "I believe former President Park should sincerely apologize to the people, considering the deep wounds of the nation."

Lee stated, "I have said that I would recommend a pardon to President Moon Jae-in at an appropriate time," adding, "The party has concluded that public sympathy and the subject's reflection are important, and I respect that conclusion." Previously, Lee had advocated pardons for former Presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak in the interest of 'national unity.'

On the morning of the 14th, when the final appeal hearing for former President Park Geun-hye is held, supporters are urging her release near the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Within the People Power Party, there are expectations that a pardon should be granted. Immediately after the Supreme Court's final ruling on former President Park, former People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Seung-min urged on his Facebook, "The president must make a decision on the pardon."

Yoo further stated, "The president should not be swayed by the narrow-mindedness of the ruling party and supporters demanding the subject's reflection, but should make a decision solely based on national unity, the dignity of the country, and its future," adding, "President Moon Jae-in should consider the meaning of the constitution granting the president the extraordinary power of pardon. It allows the president to perform a highly political act of pardon when there is a greater cause beyond judicial decisions."

Kim Ki-hyun, also from the same party, posted on Facebook, "An unconditional pardon for the two former presidents is necessary to uphold the nation's dignity." Kim said, "Even compared to the cases of former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, who were imprisoned for about two years for military rebellion and slush fund incidents, this is excessive," adding, "Former President Lee Myung-bak is 80 years old this year, and former President Park is 69. COVID-19 cases are pouring in correctional facilities."

Additionally, Kim Jong-in, emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, said, "President Moon will pardon at some point for his own purposes," and party floor leader Joo Ho-young stated, "The sooner the pardon, the better." On the same day, People Power Party spokesperson Yoon Hee-seok gave a verbal comment, saying, "Preventing the repetition of unhappy history has now become a task for all of us. As the main opposition party, People Power Party will not stop efforts to uphold democracy and the rule of law and to promote national unity."

On the morning of the 14th, when the retrial verdict hearing for former President Park Geun-hye is held, police are controlling access in front of the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, preparing for any possible incidents. Photo by Yonhap News

On the other hand, public opinion within the Democratic Party questions the justification for a pardon and opposes it. Democratic Party lawmaker Woo Sang-ho wrote on Facebook that day, "It is not desirable for a pardon to be discussed before the ink on the verdict has dried," and "My conviction that a pardon should be opposed until there is national consensus based on sincere reflection and apology remains unchanged."

Fellow party member Ahn Min-seok said, "The final sentence for former President Park has been handed down. Now that the legal conditions for a pardon are met, demands for a pardon, including from the conservative camp, will intensify," adding, "Leader Lee Nak-yeon bringing up the president's exclusive authority to pardon first has, regardless of intention, put the president in a difficult position."

Ahn continued, "No one concretely explains what 'national unity' means as a reason for supporting the pardon," and "On the other hand, there are countless and specific justifiable reasons opposing the pardon, such as equality before the law, justice before history, and legitimacy issues of the current administration. If Park Geun-hye is pardoned, will Choi Soon-sil, Kim Ki-chun, and Woo Byung-woo also be pardoned? What about the people who came out in the cold winter to hold candles? What does that mean?" He firmly opposed, saying, "A pardon without apology and national consensus is impossible. There is no need to bring up the pardon issue anymore. In other words, the president should make a decision after seeing the people's will based on apologies from the two former presidents."

Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Byung-won also emphasized, "We must not hastily forgive the two former presidents, as it will never end the unhappy history of former presidents," adding, "In our modern history, there has been no experience of properly punishing power holders who committed crimes. Feeling sympathy for individuals and punishing those who regressed democracy and neglected presidential duties are separate matters."

Moreover, Justice Party chief spokesperson Jung Ho-jin said, "The important thing is that as the recent controversy over pardoning former presidents arises, the forces that colluded and sympathized with the state affairs manipulation are raising their heads again, claiming political retaliation," emphasizing, "Once again, the Blue House and the ruling party must put an end to the pardon controversy. They must clearly understand that it only fuels further polarization among the people, far from national unity."

Meanwhile, the Blue House has not yet issued an official stance on the possibility of a pardon. Blue House spokesperson Kang Min-seok said at a briefing in the Blue House press room after former President Park's prison sentence, "We should take the unfortunate event of a former president serving a sentence as a historical lesson so that such a thing never happens again," adding, "I have not heard any separate remarks from President Moon regarding the pardon." As the pardon controversy reignites in the political sphere, attention is expected to focus on President Moon Jae-in's position, who holds the power of pardon, at the upcoming New Year's press conference scheduled for the 18th.

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