Park Geun-hye to Be Released Soon... Pardon Process to Conclude at Midnight on the 31st

Former President Park Geun-hye [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Former President Park Geun-hye, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison for the state affairs manipulation scandal and has been serving her sentence, will be released around midnight on the 31st as part of the New Year's special pardon.

According to the Ministry of Justice, the release procedure for former President Park will take place at Samsung Seoul Hospital, where she is currently hospitalized, around 0:00 on the 31st when the pardon takes effect. The correctional authorities will issue the pardon certificate to former President Park and withdraw the guards stationed in her hospital room, completing the pardon process.

Former President Park's health deteriorated during her incarceration at Seoul Detention Center, and she is expected to receive inpatient treatment at least until early February next year. Her health condition was also a significant consideration in this pardon. Although she will be pardoned and reinstated, she will not receive the privileges accorded to former presidents under the Act on the Treatment of Former Presidents.

In January this year, former President Park was sentenced by the Supreme Court to 20 years in prison, a fine of 18 billion KRW, and a confiscation of 3.5 billion KRW for charges including state affairs manipulation and illicit receipt of National Intelligence Service special activity funds. In November 2018, she was sentenced to 2 years in prison for illegal interference in the nomination process of the former Saenuri Party (now the People Power Party), bringing her total sentence to 22 years. Since her arrest on March 31, 2017, she has been incarcerated for 1,736 days (4 years and 9 months), and the remaining 17 years and 3 months of her sentence will be waived.

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