Pardon Review Committee Possibly on the 9th of Next Month... Focus on Pardon for Lee Myung-bak and Lee Jae-yong

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Preliminary screening for the special amnesty candidates for the August 15 Liberation Day is expected to take place as early as the 9th of next month. Prior to this, the parole review board will convene on the 5th of next month.

According to the legal community on the 29th, the Ministry of Justice is reported to hold the pardon review committee on the 9th or 10th of next month to review the first special amnesty candidates since President Yoon Seok-yeol took office. The review may take place over two days.

The pardon review committee consists of a total of nine members, including Chairperson Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice, Vice Minister Ino-gong, Prosecutor General Shin Ja-yong, Kim Seon-hwa, Head of the Trial and Prosecution Department as ex officio members, and five appointed members composed of professors and lawyers. The committee will finalize the list of candidates for special pardon and report it to President Yoon, who holds the power of pardon. The pardon announcement is expected to be made on the 12th, ahead of Liberation Day.

Among the political circles, former President Lee Myung-bak is considered a strong candidate for pardon. Former President Lee was sentenced to 17 years in prison for embezzlement and bribery charges and was serving his sentence until last month when he was temporarily released due to health issues under a suspension of sentence enforcement. On the morning of the 9th of last month, President Yoon expressed his intention for pardon, stating, "Considering past precedents, it is not appropriate to have someone serve more than twenty years in prison."

In the business community, many expect the pardon of economic figures such as Lee Jae-yong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics, and Shin Dong-bin, Chairman of Lotte Group. On the 27th, during a parliamentary question session, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo responded to People Power Party lawmaker Park Sung-joong’s question about whether he plans to actively recommend the pardon of economic figures including Vice Chairman Lee and Chairman Shin by saying, "I will make a recommendation."

Vice Chairman Lee, who was serving a 2-year and 6-month prison sentence for the state affairs manipulation scandal, was released last year on parole commemorating Liberation Day. Although his sentence expired at that time, he is subject to employment restrictions for the next five years, and reinstatement is necessary for him to engage in normal business activities.

The parole review for the Liberation Day commemoration will be conducted on the 5th of next month. It is known that former Governor of Gyeongnam Province Kim Kyung-soo, who was sentenced to two years in prison for the 'Druking comment manipulation' case, is also included in this parole review. Former Governor Kim has served about 60% of his sentence, meeting the requirements for parole review.

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