'The Politics of Pardons'... Controversy Every Time a Former President is Pardoned

Former President Lee Myung-bak Likely to Receive Year-End Special Pardon... Last Year, Only Former President Park Geun-hye Granted Special Pardon

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] As the possibility grows that former President Lee Myung-bak will be included in this year's year-end special pardon, the controversy surrounding it is also heating up. Special pardons for former presidents inevitably spark political controversy. Unlike general pardons targeting specific crimes, special pardons targeting specific individuals have a high potential for political misuse.

According to political circles on the 21st, President Yoon Suk-yeol will preside over a Cabinet meeting on the 27th to finalize the year-end pardon list. On the same afternoon, the government is expected to announce the pardon list, with implementation likely at midnight on the 28th. Former President Lee, who was excluded from the Liberation Day pardon, is highly likely to be included in this special pardon.

The opposition parties have unanimously criticized this. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said at the Supreme Council meeting on the morning of the 19th, "This is the most unfair and most unreasonable decision," and questioned, "What is the standard of 'fairness and common sense' that the Yoon Suk-yeol administration keeps chanting like a mantra?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Choi Jae-sung, former Blue House senior secretary for political affairs, criticized, saying, "He still has as much as 15 years left to serve." Public opinion is also unfavorable. Various polling agencies conducted surveys on the pardon of the former president, but opposition to the pardon accounted for more than half of the respondents.

One reason President Yoon is proceeding with the pardon amid controversy is the recent rise in approval ratings. At the time of the August Liberation Day pardon, when the pardon of the former president was discussed but ultimately scrapped, President Yoon's approval rating hovered in the 20% range. However, with the recent stabilization of government approval ratings in the 40% range, the foundation for making a significant political decision has solidified. There is also a strategic intention to aim for a 'national unity' effect through the special pardon.

Former President Lee Myung-bak Likely to Receive Special Pardon... Opposition Criticizes

In Korean political history, special pardons for former presidents have been carried out several times. These pardons were attempts to reconcile conflicts between regions and social classes, but each time they sparked political controversy. This was often because pardons were granted before proper resolution of past issues.

The pardon decision for former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo was announced in December 1997. It was declared after a luncheon meeting between then-President Kim Young-sam, who was nearing the end of his term, and President-elect Kim Dae-jung.

Although the rationale was to pursue national unity, the special pardon of key figures responsible for military coups, bloodshed, and corruption caused considerable repercussions. The People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy pointed out that it "betrayed the public's expectation for a strict reckoning with the past through fair punishment." The Lawyers for a Democratic Society criticized, saying, "It ignored the public's sense of justice and followed political logic."

It was also problematic that the pardon was granted only eight months after the final verdicts for the two presidents (April 1997). Within the ruling party, the need for a pardon was raised even before the final verdicts. The pardon debate for the two former presidents surfaced in the fall of that year, with the 'Chuseok pardon' canceled and ultimately announced as a 'Christmas pardon.'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Controversy Surrounds Every Former President's Special Pardon

During the Moon Jae-in administration, the possibility of a special pardon for former presidents surfaced near the end of the term. However, only former President Park Geun-hye was included in the special pardon at the end of last year, while former President Lee was excluded. It appears that Park's health condition and length of imprisonment better matched the criteria for pardon, and public opinion was more favorable toward Park's pardon, influencing the final decision.

Since then, the possibility of a special pardon for former President Lee has been raised several times, but it was never realized under the Moon administration. Although there was considerable public opinion supporting a pardon from the perspective of 'settling one's own affairs' for the former president imprisoned during Moon's term, there was also strong opposition to exercising the pardon power near the end of the term. Former President Lee's persistent claims of 'political retaliation' and refusal to show remorse negatively affected public sentiment. Ultimately, the special pardon for former President Lee became a task for the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.

The special pardon, a presidential prerogative, is generally carried out under the pretext of 'national unity,' but due to its nature of pardoning specific individuals, it structurally risks being politically exploited or reduced to 'pardons for close associates.' During the Roh Moo-hyun administration, pardons for former Chungnam Governor Ahn Hee-jung and former Democratic Party lawmaker Shin Gye-ryun, and during the Lee Myung-bak administration, pardons for former Broadcasting and Communications Commission Chairman Choi Si-jung and Chairman Cheon Shin-il of Sejung Namo, were cited as negative examples of 'pardons for close associates.'

The need to improve the special pardon system has been raised multiple times, but actual reform efforts have been minimal. Former President Park, in a 2015 senior secretaries meeting, instructed to prepare improvement measures for the special pardon system to ensure fair and transparent exercise of pardon powers institutionally, but no significant progress has been made since then.

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