President Yoon on Lee Jae-yong Pardon Proposal: "Principle Is Not to Mention in Advance"

Daewoo Shipbuilding Subcontractor Union Strike: "No Comment" on Deployment of Public Authority

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] President Yoon Suk-yeol said on the 20th regarding the pardon proposal for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, "As a principle, I never comment on the scope or any details of pardons from the past."

On the morning of the same day, President Yoon responded this way to reporters' question on his way to the Yongsan office, asking, "Since the economy is difficult, the business community is requesting a pardon for Vice Chairman Lee. Is there any plan for a pardon?"

Recently, some in the political and legal circles have predicted that President Yoon, who is emphasizing national unity, recovery of the people's economy, and economic revitalization, will carry out a large-scale special pardon on August 15, Liberation Day.

First, there is a strong prospect for the pardon of former President Lee Myung-bak, who was released on suspension of sentence execution. When reporters asked President Yoon on the morning of the 9th of last month about the possibility of a special pardon for former President Lee, he replied, "I think it is not right to keep someone imprisoned for over twenty years." There are also observations that the possibility of pardons for Vice Chairman Lee and former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo is high in terms of economic recovery and national unity.

The Presidential Office is reportedly reviewing a wide range of candidates for the Liberation Day special pardon.

Meanwhile, regarding the strike by the in-house subcontractor union at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, when asked by reporters whether he is considering deploying public authority, President Yoon said, "The question is a bit long," and added, "I would appreciate it if you could keep it short. I will not answer further on that."

President Yoon had previously told reporters the day before, "I think both the people and the government have waited long enough," indicating that the deployment of public authority was imminent. However, a presidential office official said, "The President is well aware of the difficult situation of subcontracted workers. He also has a strong willingness to provide policy support as much as needed," pressuring for the strike to be resolved.

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