From Yonhap News:
President Lee Makes Special New Year Pardons…55 People, including Choi See-joong and Chun Shin-il
Cabinet vote for pardons…’are based on law and principles’
Includes Park Hee-taeㆍKim Hyo-jaeㆍSuh Chung-won…but excludes President’s relatives
5 people from the ‘Yongsan Massacre’ receive pardons…Entrepreneurs like former KT CEO Nam Joong-soo included
On the 29th, President Lee Myung-bak granted special pardons to 55 people, including former Korea Communications Commission Chairman Choi See-joong [close political ally] and Sejoong Namo Tour Chairman Chun Shin-il [long term friend].
On the day, Blue House spokesperson Park Jeong-ha conveyed that President Lee presided over the 6th Cabinet Meeting at the Blue House, where Minister of Justice Kwon Jae-jin voted for an impromptu bill of pardon.
President Lee said that ‘When we launched our government, we said we would not abuse the amnesty bill, and that we will not pardon any power-related corruption that occurred during my term and I’ve made every effort to keep our promise’ and that ‘these pardons too were based on such principles.’
President Lee explained that ‘for the first time, we underwent further procedures, with the amnesty jury including a large number of civilian members in order to be transparent and be in accordance with the law’ and ‘the current government will issue pardons for the sake of [people’s] livelihood, and there are less political amnesties granted compared to previous administrations.’
The principles of the current amnesties are ▲the President’s relatives are excluded ▲scandals that have occurred during the current term too will be excluded ▲pardon those from SMEs that have a certain degree of economic contributions ▲(make pardons as to) resolve social conflicts.
The current pardons include the former Chairmans Choi and Chun who in 2008 were involved in the money-envelope scandal at a party convention and were sentenced in August to two years in prison on probation; former National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae who at time was the Chairman of the camp who received one year on probation in June; and former Blue House political affairs secretary Kim Hyo-jae.
Former Chairmans Park and Choi were members of the ‘6-strong meetings’ of the then presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak in the 2007 elections are expected to receive controversial pardons for their meritorious entrepreneurship in the current government.
Together with this, President-elect Park Geun-hye’s close aide and pro-Park alliance leader Suh Chung-won was also pardoned.
Accordingly, the President’s big brother Lee Sang-deuk, former Deputy Minister of Knowledge Economy Park Young-joon, former Deputy Minister of Culture Shin Jae-min, First Lady Kim Yoon-ok‘s older cousin Kim Jae-hong, former Blue House head Kim Hee-joong, former lawmaker Hong Sa-deok, Taekwang Industry’s Chairman Park Yeon-cha and the likes all failed to hit the President’s criteria for amnesty.
Government and business leaders, personnel from social organisations were exonerated or reduced sentences.
Among the six people imprisoned in relation to the Yongsan Massacre, all 5 squatters received pardons exempting them from their remaining prison terms. Just the one who played a major role [in the incident] was excluded from the pardon evaluation.
Former National Assembly speaker Park Kwan-yong and former senior secretary in the Roh Blue House Park Jung-gyu and former General Secretary Jung Sang-moon were given pardons.
Among politicians, former lawmakers Kim Jong-ryul, Suh Gab-won, and Woo Je-hang from the opposition, and former lawmakers Jang Kwang-keun and Hyun Kyung-byung from the opposition received special pardons.
Former Geoje mayor Kim Han-kyeom and his sentence reduced and former Naju mayor Shin Jeong-hoon was also pardoned.
Businessmen such as former KT president Nam Joong-soo and President Cho Hyeon-joon of Hyosung Textile PG, Daeyang Paper representative Kwon Hyeok-hong, Korea Cast Iron Pipe Chairman Kim Gil-chul, Namsung Shipping Chairman Kim Young-chi, Huneed Technologies Chairman Kim Yoo-jin, Ritco Chairman Jeong Jong-seung, Hanho Construction Chairman Shin Jong-jeong, and former Maniker representative Han Hyeong-seok all received pardons.
In relation to those from the educational, cultural and social sectors, Honorary Chairman of the Male Afterschool Foundation Son Tae-hee, Taewon Entertainment representative Jeong Tae-won, Korea Confederation of Trade Unions’ Chairman Lee He-soo and the head of National Action Campaign for Freedom and Democracy in Korea Suh jeong-kap were also subject to pardons.
Underprivileged foreign prisoners of exemplary attitude were exempt from their sentence.
Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik urged that ‘all members of the State Council make the best of efforts to explain the purpose and principles of these pardons.’
He conveyed that the final list of pardons was finalised last weekend and submitted to the Cabinet Meeting who then confirmed it.
On the other hand, key advisors to the Blue House explained with regard to incoming President Park Geun-hye’s accusations of corruption within President Lee’s final day that ‘she must believe and understand that the process was carried out following transparent procedures and principles.’
These special pardons, reduced sentences and exonerations will take place this coming 31st of January.
Comments from Nate:
eco1****:
So Lee Myung-bak is making some futile efforts in the last hours of his term……..but what the hell? Pardoning all his aides….as well as pardoning all those who were supposed to serve at most 2 years? Looks like Lee Myung-bak is really a vile nom.. Regardless of political inclinations, that bastard deserves to be cursed…. How could he not know the public sentiment? Presidential pardons for corruption scandals or election code offences should be restricted in Korea like in Europe.
sg03****:
The Republic of Korea. The weird country where the bastards who don’t respect laws are politicians.
yydo****:
Now, you’re being reckless. [Phrase used by President Roh in 2002, who called the chief of Busan’s Prosecutors’ Office asking him to cover a bribery scandal. Roh was asked ‘Don’t you think you undermined the prosecution’s neutrality?’ to which he ’Now, you’re being reckless.’]
tjsg****:
You are one president who will truly go down in history!!!!!!! You fucking rat.
akmo****:
You are the definition of corrupt government official in this day and age.
pilo****:
They made a good deal. Park opposed to the pardons, taking care of her approval rate while Lee saved his friends. Win win. One month left until the end of his term. Is it impossible to impeach him? Can’t just let him get away like that.
pgar****:
President Lee Myung-bak enforcing pardons is pretty unbelievable, and he pardoned those supporters of Park who pretended to oppose his actions. Well played, sir, well played. Lee Myung-bak won’t be serving a second term and should bear responsibility anyway, and with Park Geun-hye trying to establish her ‘rule of law’ to the public eye, you are helping one another in oh-so-noble way. Even then, Ilbe will defend President-elect Park saying she’s different from the Lee government as well as the Saenuri Party, right? Ha.
kabb****:
Ah what a ssibal nom. He’s seriously the scum of society. When his term ends, he must go straight to hell. *must*… Ah what filth…
blac****:
So you’ve been doing thievery with this as an escape in mind? You deserve to be hacked to pieces.
koko****:
Wow this never ends, it’s just too much… A president that will just never stop ‘til the end.
tkan****:
The Saenuri Party still triumphs with all this bullshit… ke ke ke one fucking great country this is… he he he
radi****:
The worst president ever.
zzon****:
He must be afraid. If he doesn’t set those prisoners free, they can blackmail him later.
kimc****:
Name of country: The Republic of Eternal Faith in Ilbe
Favourite Film: The Legend of 29,000 won [Former President Chun Doo-hwan said he lived off 290,000 won, or 300 USD a month]
Racial/Ethnic classification: Descendent of monkeys [monkeys being the derogatory term to designate the Japanese]
Flag: The Rising Sun
National bird: The ssip bird [in Korean, ‘ssip-sae’ sounds like the word for bastard]
National flower: The dictatorship [in Korean, national flower, or ‘gook-hwa’ (country flower), has the same ending as dictatorship, or ‘dok-jae-hwa’]
Language: Ukiki [sound monkeys make]
Public Holiday: The day Chun Doo-hwan was released from prison
Traditional folk music: Spiritual music [refering to the Japanese spirits]
Main industries: Fraud, creating rumors and spreading them on the Internet through private documents & falsification of official documents
The most prestigious award in the Republic of Eternal Faith in Ilbe: 290,000 won for cheating
Conditions for admittance into prestigious universities: Should excel in the mastery of forged documents.
Transport: Unknown because his moves are too sneaky.
Food: Cusses [in Korean, ‘to eat a cuss’ literally means to get cussed/criticized]
Medicine: Pesticide [to kill rats]
Table used to eat: N/A
Wake-up time: No one knows
Bed-time: When others work
Favourite nursing home: Prison
Favourite book: The Blessings of 290,000 won
Favourite cuss: commie, skate, left-wing commie
Fish he raises : Octopus [Chun Doo-hwan’s nickname]
Favourite bar snack: Octopus
Panacea : Chun Doo-hwan
Ruler used in maths class: Only-conservative-idiocy-should-proliferate ruler [the ending ‘ja’ sounds the same as ‘ruler’ in Korean]
Worst person: Clever people
Favourite person: Chun Doo-hwan
Favourite colour: Red
Dear Ilbe people, please memorize these encyclopaedia facts about your motherland, ke ke ke.
aces****:
I’m shedding tears… ㅠ_ㅠ Gakka’s warm friendship…. A moving and beautiful story…
jang****:
Aren’t you used to Lee Myung-back being shameless? Shitnuri Party ostensibly opposed the pardons but it was all part of the scheme. Geun-hye will probably give a special pardon to Myung-back bro on March 1st. Same old arrangement.
yoon****:
I knew it all along, ke ke.
He was trying to look good with his rejection of the Taxi law and then he turns around and back-stabs right on target! Ke ke.
Yes, his majesty stays true to his reputation~
cnsg****:
Not long now ‘til the end of your term, and with that, you’ll get the last bang~ [The President’s Last Bang is a film depicting former President Park Chung-hee’s assassination]
