Divisive figures top list of Yoon’s Liberation Day pardons

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday issued pardons for 1,219 people, including a former governor convicted of involvement in online opinion manipulation and officials who served time for abusing their authority under past conservative administrations.

Justice Minister Park Sung-jae announces special pardons issued by President Yoon Suk Yeol ahead of Liberation Day at the Central Government Complex in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday issued pardons for 1,219 people, including a former governor convicted of involvement in an online opinion rigging scheme and officials serving time for abusing their authority under past conservative administrations.

The pardons, which take effect on Thursday, were signed off by Yoon after they had been reviewed by a Justice Ministry committee and endorsed by the Cabinet earlier in the day.

Presidents typically issue pardons to prominent politicians, officials and business figures to mark Liberation Day, which falls on Thursday this year, or New Year's Eve.

Among those pardoned was former South Gyeongsang Gov. Kim Kyung-soo, a close associate of former President Moon Jae-in who was sentenced to two years in prison for colluding with political blogger Kim Dong-won — better known by his online alias Druking — to mount an online campaign beginning in November 2016 to support Moon’s successful 2017 election bid.

Although Kim was released from prison under a special pardon in late 2022, he was barred from running for office until December 2027 under the initial terms of his release. The latest pardon issued by Yoon allows Kim to run in elections once more.

The restoration of Kim’s political rights was opposed by Han Dong-hoon, leader of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), who privately argued that Kim had not demonstrated remorse after committing a “crime against democracy,” according to aides who spoke to local media earlier in the week.

Political observers believe that Kim could attract support from factions within the liberal Democratic Party (DP) that are not aligned with former party leader Lee Jae-myung, who is under concurrent investigations into his alleged role in multiple corruption scandals that took place while he served as mayor of Seongnam and governor of Gyeonggi.

Lee, whose supporters dominate the DP, is expected to win a second term as the party’s chairman at a national convention on Sunday.

Former conservative officials who were also granted amnesty for past crimes on Tuesday include Cho Yoon-sun, a culture minister under the Park Geun-hye administration who served 14 months in prison for blacklisting artists critical of the government, and An Chong-bum, an aide who was convicted of pressuring the country’s conglomerates to donate money to foundations controlled by Park’s close associate Choi Soon-sil.

The public outrage surrounding Choi’s influence peddling eventually led to Park’s impeachment and removal from office in March 2017.

Former spy chief Won Sei-hoon, who was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment in 2021 for ordering intelligence officials to run an online misinformation campaign against liberal candidates, was also pardoned by Yoon on Tuesday.

During his announcement of the pardons the same day, Justice Minister Park Sung-jae said the amnesties granted to political figures across the aisle are “intended to end political discord resulting from various public opinion manipulation schemes and forge a path toward national unity.”

However, the Cabinet on Tuesday also passed a motion demanding that the National Assembly reconsider two controversial bills that would distribute 250,000 won ($183) in handouts to every household and grant immunity to striking workers from being sued for damages by their employers.

If Yoon approves the motion, it could engender more strife between his administration and the legislature, which is controlled by the DP.

On Monday, Yoon vetoed four contentious bills intended to reduce the government’s clout over the country’s public broadcasters, leading DP floor leader Park Chan-dae to accuse the president of “being addicted to his veto power” at a party meeting on Tuesday.

Yoon has exercised his veto 19 times since taking office in May 2022.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]