Cheong Wa Dae not to be involved in Park’s potential stay of execution

Presidential spokesperson Park Soo-hyun said on Wednesday that a stay of execution is not a matter that Cheong Wa Dae should get involved in regarding former President Park Geun-hye’s potential stay of execution due to her hospitalization from the deterioration of health. The spokesperson added that he hasn’t heard of anything regarding the possibility of the former president’s stay of execution.

“President Moon Jae-in may weigh in with the matter if time allows, but we don’t have any information on that,” said the spokesperson on Wednesday on MBC radio. An application for a stay of execution is made by the party concerned, his or her legal representative, or the head of a corrections facility and deliberated by the Public Prosecutors’ Office in charge. Minister of Justice Park Beom-kye also said on Tuesday that he has not reviewed the matter regarding the possibility.

The presidential spokesperson said he has not heard or known anything about the special pardon of former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. He added that a pardon is reviewed by the Ministry of Justice, passed by the Cabinet meeting, and decided by the president, rather than being determined and ordered by Cheong Wa Dae.

The Ministry of Justice held a plenary meeting of the Amnesty Commission until Tuesday but the two former presidents were not included on the list. President Moon has emphasized that the pardon of the two presidents should be deliberated in consideration of public consensus and helpful for national integration.


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