President Lee to Decide on "Cho Kuk Pardon and Restoration" Today... Convenes One-Point Cabinet Meeting

On August 11, President Lee Jaemyung will convene a special one-point interim Cabinet meeting to finalize the list of individuals to be granted the August 15 Liberation Day special pardon, including former Cho Kuk Innovation Party leader Cho Kuk and other politicians. The presidential office had previously expected the special pardon agenda to be handled at the regular Cabinet meeting scheduled for August 12, but President Lee decided to hold an interim session instead. This move is interpreted as an attempt to swiftly finalize the list and put an end to ongoing political controversy surrounding the pardons of Cho and other politicians.

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On this day, President Lee will convene the 35th interim Cabinet meeting in the afternoon to exclusively deliberate and decide on the agenda of "special pardon, special commutation, special restoration of rights, and special reduction measures." The presidential office had informed reporters of this schedule and the single-item agenda the previous day. A presidential office official explained, "There are many items to be discussed at the regular Cabinet meeting, and President Lee has also requested a report from the Ministry of Employment and Labor on industrial accidents, so we decided to separate the agendas." The official added, "Previous administrations have also sometimes held interim Cabinet meetings to deliberate on special pardons." The Moon Jaein administration's year-end special pardon in 2021, as well as the Yoon Sukyeol administration's New Year and Liberation Day special pardons in 2022 and 2023, were also handled through interim sessions.

Previously, on August 7, the Ministry of Justice's pardon review committee reportedly included Cho Kuk and his spouse, former lawmakers Choi Kangwook and Yoon Mihyang, former Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education superintendent Cho Heeyeon, as well as conservative politicians such as former lawmakers Hong Moonjong and Jung Chanmin, on the list. The opposition has strongly criticized the inclusion of Cho Kuk?who is serving a two-year prison sentence for admissions fraud and other charges confirmed in December last year?and Yoon Mihyang, who received a suspended prison sentence for embezzlement of donations intended for comfort women, as special pardon recipients.

It is widely believed that President Lee's decision to convene an interim Cabinet meeting reflects his intention to separate political and livelihood agendas and manage messaging accordingly. Given the symbolic significance of this being his first pardon since taking office, President Lee appears to be aiming to resolve the Liberation Day special pardon issue first through the one-point interim Cabinet meeting, then focus on economic and livelihood issues such as the tax law amendment and industrial accidents at the regular Cabinet meeting on August 12.

The most controversial figure in this round of pardon reviews is Cho Kuk. If Cho is granted both a pardon and restoration of rights, he would be able to resume political activities and, in particular, would regain eligibility to run in the local elections in June next year and the next presidential election. Given that the Democratic Party experienced significant difficulties during the so-called "Cho Kuk affair," it is expected that President Lee will carefully consider public opinion until the last moment. A ruling party official commented, "As this is the president's exclusive authority, it is difficult to predict the outcome."

If Cho Kuk is pardoned and his rights restored, conflicting assessments are expected to persist for some time. On one hand, it could help consolidate the core support base within the ruling bloc and serve as an impetus to accelerate prosecutorial and judicial reforms. If his eligibility to run for office is restored, his public political activities would expand, potentially reshaping the progressive camp's personnel landscape and influencing future nominations and alliances. On the other hand, the opposition is likely to intensify its criticism, accusing the administration of favoritism and undermining judicial justice. Among moderates, fatigue and renewed debates over fairness could arise, and the overall reform agenda may be diluted by the "pardon" narrative. There are also concerns that, if partisan confrontation in the National Assembly escalates in tandem with the legislative schedule, it could have negative spillover effects on negotiations over tax and livelihood-related legislation.

The revelation that Yoon Mihyang was also included among the pardon recipients sparked controversy. On August 10, Choo Mi-ae, a Democratic Party lawmaker nominated as chair of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, posted on social media under the title "Judge Ma Yongju Who Distorted Justice in Yoon Mihyang's Case," stating, "The president's exclusive authority should be exercised to correct a judiciary that has betrayed justice," and added, "The Liberation Day special pardon carries special significance in restoring the honor of judicial victim Yoon Mihyang, who has dedicated her life to restoring the honor of comfort women." Park Sunghoon, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, countered, "This is like removing Yi Wanyong from the list of pro-Japanese collaborators."

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