Hong Joon-pyo: "I Will Pardon MB and Park on the Day I Take Office as President"

Hong: "MB and Park trials are political trials... Impeachment is a shameful history"
Support from 20s and 30s for Hong mainly due to 'expressing convictions without worrying about public opinion'

People Power Party presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo is announcing the '5 Major Visions for the Re-advancement of TK (Daegu-Gyeongbuk)' on the afternoon of the 13th at Dongseong-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim So-young] Hong Joon-pyo, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party, stated that if he becomes president, he will pardon former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye on his inauguration day.

In an interview with Shindonga on the 13th, Hong was asked, "If President Moon Jae-in does not grant a stay of execution or pardon to former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye by the end of his term, do you plan to pardon them if you come to power?" He replied, "I will pardon them on the day I take office."

He argued, "I consider the trials of former President Park and former President MB (Lee Myung-bak) to be political trials, so if they are not pardoned by then, I will pardon them on the day of my inauguration or the following day."

Regarding the Constitutional Court's impeachment ruling on former President Park, he said, "At the time of the impeachment trial, I said, 'This is not a presidential impeachment trial. It is merely a trial where judges lecture petty criminals.' However, under our country's constitutional system, there is no retrial for impeachment. Even if it was a flawed trial, we have no choice but to accept it. It has become a shameful part of history," he pointed out.

When asked if such a stance might hinder him in the general election, he said, "I don't think voters vote based on that. The biggest reason why people in their 20s and 30s support me is because I express my convictions without worrying about public opinion."

At a press conference held in front of Daegu Department Store on Dongseong-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, in the afternoon, Hong said, "I will name the integrated Daegu-Gyeongbuk new airport 'Park Chung-hee Airport'." He also announced plans to name Gadeokdo Airport as "Kim Young-sam Airport" and Muan New Airport as "Kim Dae-jung Airport."

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