People Power Party: "Pardon for Cho Kuk and Yoon Meehyang Insults Patriotic Martyrs... Must Stop Immediately"

"Liberation Day Is a Day of Unity...
It Must Not Become the Private Property of a Particular Administration"

On August 11, the People Power Party strongly criticized the reported inclusion of former Cho Kuk Innovation Party leader Cho Kuk and former lawmaker Yoon Meehyang on the Liberation Day special pardon list, stating, "Granting pardons that absolve criminals is a direct insult to the patriotic martyrs who gave their lives for the nation."

Song Unseok, Emergency Response Committee Chairman and Floor Leader of the People Power Party, said at the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly that day, "The Lee Jaemyung administration has turned Liberation Day into a day of division rather than unity, and a day of disgrace rather than celebration, by issuing pardons that unconditionally protect their own side and endlessly shield their own people. I urge the administration to immediately halt any attempts to pardon former leader Cho and former lawmaker Yoon."

Song Unseok, Emergency Response Committee Chairman and Floor Leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 11th. Photo by Yonhap News

Chairman Song further emphasized, "While the right to grant pardons is an exclusive presidential authority, granting amnesty to shameless criminals who show no remorse, and issuing pardons that sow the seeds of national division, is a direct insult to the patriotic martyrs on the 80th anniversary of Liberation."

Regarding former leader Cho, Song criticized, "He is a power-related criminal who has been convicted of admissions fraud and obstruction of inspections. He has undermined the values of fairness and justice in our society, caused great deprivation among young people, and triggered the worst national division."

Addressing former lawmaker Yoon, Song said, "She is a shameless criminal who personally embezzled donations intended for victims of the comfort women issue. She continues to slander the judiciary by claiming the verdict was unjust, and even refuses to comply with the court's order to return the embezzled funds."

Chairman Song stressed, "Liberation Day is a national celebration and a day of unity commemorating the freedom and independence of the Republic of Korea. It cannot become the private property of a particular administration."

Kim Jungjae, Policy Committee Chair of the People Power Party, added, "Although the right to grant pardons is an exclusive presidential authority, the President must remember that this power was entrusted by the people. If you are determined to pardon these individuals, do it on a separate day?designate a 'Cho Kuk Day' or a 'Yoon Meehyang Day,' not Liberation Day."

Meanwhile, President Lee Jaemyung is scheduled to preside over an extraordinary cabinet meeting at 2:30 p.m. that afternoon to decide whether to pardon former leader Cho. The special pardon list reportedly includes Cho and his spouse, Choi Kangwook, former lawmaker Yoon, former Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Heeyeon, as well as opposition figures such as former lawmakers Hong Moonjong and Chung Chanmin.

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