Cho Guk Included in Liberation Day Special Pardon Review List... President Lee's Final Decision Pending

Included on Ministry of Justice's List
Final Decision to Be Made at Cabinet Meeting on the 12th

Former Cho Guk Innovation Party leader Cho Guk has been included on the list of candidates under review for the 'Liberation Day Special Pardon.' With only President Lee Jae Myung's final decision remaining, there is growing anticipation that Cho may be granted a pardon and reinstatement during this special pardon.

Lee Jae Myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (right), is visiting Cho Guk, leader of the Cho Guk Innovation Party, at the National Assembly on the 21st. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

According to political and legal sources on the 7th, Cho was included on the list of candidates to be reviewed by the Ministry of Justice's Pardon Review Committee, which is set to convene that afternoon. The Ministry of Justice will hold the committee meeting at 2 p.m. at the Government Complex in Gwacheon to review candidates for the Liberation Day special pardon.

The Pardon Review Committee consists of three internal members from the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution, including Minister of Justice Jeong Seongho as chair, Prosecutor General of the Ministry of Justice Seong Sangheon, and Chief of the Public Trial and Litigation Department of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Cha Beomjun, as well as at least four external members. The list of candidates for pardon and reinstatement selected by the committee will be reported by Minister Jeong to President Lee, and the final decision will be made after deliberation and resolution at the Cabinet meeting on the 12th.

President Lee is expected to make his final decision on the results selected by the Office of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Justice after returning from vacation. Kang Yoojeong, spokesperson for the presidential office, responded to a question about whether Cho Guk would be included in the Liberation Day special pardon at a briefing in Yongsan, saying, "We will know the finalized list around the time it is announced after the Cabinet meeting." Kang added, "After the Cabinet meeting, the pardon targets will be decided and then officially announced. During that process, the President's final decision on exercising the pardon authority will be made." She further explained, "Until then, it is difficult to know for certain."

However, some analysts believe that the mere fact that Cho was included as a candidate for review effectively signals a move toward pardon and reinstatement. The atmosphere surrounding the pardon is ripening. Former President Moon Jae In told Woo Sangho, Chief Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs, who visited Pyeongsan Village in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, "If politicians are to be pardoned, shouldn't Cho Guk also be included?" Woo reportedly replied, "I will convey your message." Previously, religious circles have also repeatedly expressed the opinion that Cho Guk, as a victim of prosecutorial abuse of power, should be pardoned.

The main issue is the political burden that would arise if Cho were to be pardoned and reinstated. President Lee, during his 2021 presidential campaign, publicly apologized, stating that the Cho Guk incident had deeply wounded the public's sense of fairness. For President Lee, the issue of pardoning Cho is a matter of balancing his stated principles with political realities.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Lee Hwa Young, former Vice Governor for Peace of Gyeonggi Province, has been excluded from the Ministry of Justice's review list this time.

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