Before Stepping Down From Power, Kim`s Government Announced Pardons Showing Favoritism

The Korean government announced on Dec.30 that it would conduct special pardons, commutations, and restoration of rights for 122 convicts, including businessmen, high-ranking government officials, death-row inmates and public security and electoral offenders implicated in various bribery cases.

Kim Young-jae, former assistant vice-director of the Financial Supervisory Commission involved in the “Lee Young-ho gate” who was received a court final and conclusive judgment without physical restraint by the court two months ago, and Choi Il-hong, former director general of the Sports Promotion Foundation implicated in the “Choi Ku-sun gate” in which President Kim`s son was involved, who was received a court final and conclusive judgment four months ago and has been serving time in prison, are included among the beneficiaries of presidential special pardons. The presidential pardons have become the target of criticism that the government is granting preferable pardons.

Among the beneficiaries of the presidential pardons, businessmen Chung Tae-soo, former chairman of the failed Hanbo Group, Cho Yang-ho, chairman of Korean Airline and Kim Sun-hong, former chairman of the Kia Group, and senior government officials Kang Jung-hoon, former direct of Public Procurement Service, Kim Jun, deputy director of the same agency and Bae Chae-wook, former presidential secretary. And also, public safety offenders, including Kang Wi-won, former chairman of Hanchonglyun and Shuk Chi-sun, chairman of the Seoul railroad labor union, are included.

By the classification of the beneficiaries, foreigners benefited most from the government move, accounting for 50 of the total 122 convicts. Public safety offenders, businessmen, electoral offenders, and high-ranking officials are 40, 14, 8 and 5 respectively.

In case of Chung Tae-soo and Kim Sun-hong, who had been under suspension of sentence on the ground that they are suffering from heart disease and high blood pressure, are exempted from the remainder of prison times. The same benefits are granted to the total 54 convicts, including the two former businessmen.

Under the amnesty, four death-row inmates, including Kim Jin-tae, had been their sentences reduced to life imprisonment and 21 convicts including Shuk Chi-sun was released and granted restoration of rights such as voting rights. Nine convicts implicated in falsifying the failed Dae-woo Group account books, including Jeon byung-min, a former nominee for the position of senior presidential secretary for policy and planning, Chu Ho-Shuk, former head of Daewoo heavy industry, and Shin Young-kyun, former head of Daewoo shipbuilding were also reinstated their rights. An official from the Ministry of Justice said the President decided to grant pardons in an effort to protect human rights and to provide them with opportunities to join the nation`s effort to develop the economy. The government official said that in case of public safety offenders who were granted by the 2000, 8.15 presidential leniency, they have been well fitted themselves to the society without any troubles and the government exempted the remaining jail term of a total 51 foreigners and decided to expel them to their countries. “The government took the action because they had been served a long time in prison and to do so will benefit our country,” the official said.

Sang-Rok Lee myzodan@donga.com