The People Power Party Caught in the Sticky Issue of Pardons

[경향신문]

- Former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. Kyunghyang Shinmun Archives

The People Power Party is having trouble getting away from the heated debate on the pardons of two former presidents, Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. The party’s leaders and senior lawmakers continue to argue for the need to pardon the two presidents. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon (Park Hyung-joon) personally recommended the pardons to President Moon Jae-in. But inside the party, there is opposition claiming that such an attempt could be seen as a return to the past following an overwhelming victory in the by-elections. Party members voiced concerns that if the issue of pardons emerged as an issue in the next party congress, it could leave a blow on the entire party.

The debate on the pardons was triggered when five-time lawmaker Suh Byung-soo first raised the issue. During a government questioning at the National Assembly on April 20, lawmaker Suh said, “It is hard to understand whether former President Park Geun-hye committed an illegal act so serious as to deserve impeachment and whether it is appropriate to harass and neglect the former president like this,” and urged Hong Nam-ki, acting prime minister to recommend a pardon to President Moon Jae-in.

When this triggered controversy over lawmaker Suh’s denial of the impeachment, Joo Ho-young, the acting party leader and also the party’s leader on the floor said, “I don’t think we can say that this is the opinion of the entire party,” drawing the line to quiet the debate, but aftershocks continued. People continued to voice views that although they could not deny the impeachment, a pardon was necessary.

On April 21, Joo met with reporters and said, “I think many people want the pardon,” and explained, “I haven’t heard anyone in our party formally oppose the request for a pardon.” This day, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, who won in the latest by-elections, attended a luncheon at Sangchunjae in Cheongwadae with President Moon Jae-in and suggested the pardon of the former presidents. Candidates for the party’s floor leader, lawmakers Kim Gi-hyeon, Kweon Seong-dong, Kim Tae-heum and Yu Eui-dong are drawing the line on any denial of the impeachment, but their position on the need for a pardon is not much different.

Independent lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo also addressed the People Power Party on social media and said, “You should accept the merits and demerits of the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye governments and let the people judge after showing them a better party.” He further said, “They say when you’re in power, people flatter you and when you lose power, they turn away. But our ancestors are still our ancestors even if they might have been shameful, and our parents are still our parents, no matter how shameless they may be.”

But members of the party continued to voice criticism as well. In an interview on Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show on CBS radio on April 22, Kim Jae-seop, a member of the party’s emergency committee said, “Mentioning pardons only four months after (apologizing for the impeachment), and only a week after the elections is likely to give the impression that the party is having an easy time of it.” He further expressed his concerns saying, “Many supporters in their twenties and thirties are also criticizing that it’s a return to the old party.”

Lee Jun-seok, a former member of the party’s Supreme Council also appeared on Ju Jin-wu’s Radio on KBS radio and described the proposal for pardons by mayors Oh and Park as “a strategic failure.” He said, “If our party mentions pardons at this time, it could draw criticism, such as ‘You win an election and that’s the first thing you do?’ so if it were me, I wouldn’t suggest it.”

Others also expressed concern that the pardons could emerge as a key issue in the next party congress. The contenders for party leader could compete and argue for the pardons of the former presidents in a stronger voice than now as the election approaches. Party members in the Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do region can have a decisive impact on the election for party leader under the existing election structure, so candidates can’t ignore the public opinion in this region.

One first-time lawmaker of the People Power Party spoke with the reporter over the phone this day and said, “If the issue of pardons continues until the party congress, the support of the moderates that we have barely begun to attract could crumble all at once.”