SEOUL : South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Friday he will pardon his chief conservative rival and predecessor, Park Geun-hye, who is serving a lengthy prison term for bribery and other crimes.
Moon’s liberal government said the pardon is meant to promote national unity in the face of difficulties brought by the pandemic. Some observers say Moon may want to ease conservative criticism stemming from Park’s health problems, or even use her to split the opposition ahead of a presidential election in March.
“We should move into a new era by getting over the pains of the past. It’s time to boldly pull together all our strengths for the future rather than fighting against each other while being preoccupied with the past,” Moon said in remarks released by his office.
The Justice Ministry said the 69-year-old Park is among 3,094 people who are to be pardoned on Dec. 31. South Korea often grants special pardons to mark New Year’s Day or national holidays.
Park has been treated since last month in a hospital, from where she will be released, the ministry said. Officials refused to elaborate on Park’s health, but local media said she has been suffering from a lumbar disc, a shoulder injury and dental problems as well as mental stress.
In January, the Supreme Court upheld her 20-year prison term. If she hadn’t been pardoned, she could have served a combined 22 years behind bars because she was separately convicted of meddling in her party’s nominations of candidates ahead of parliamentary elections in 2016.
Those to be pardoned with Park on Dec. 31 include ex-Prime Minister Han Myung-sook, one of Moon’s former political allies, who served a two-year prison term on corruption charges. The government will reinstate her civil rights so she can run in elections or cast ballots.
Separately, former leftist lawmaker Lee Seok-ki, who has been serving a more-than nine-year prison term for plotting a pro-North Korea rebellion and other charges, was released Friday on parole. Lee was arrested when Park was in office. He was affiliated with a now-disbanded small progressive party.
