Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung has decided to pardon several politicians convicted of financial crimes and other serious offenses, drawing criticism for misusing legal forgiveness to pave the way for controversial figures' political comebacks. The pardon list, unveiled on Monday after a closed-door Cabinet meeting, includes former lawmakers Cho Kuk and Yoon Mee-hyang, as well as Cho Hee-yeon, the former superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, who was convicted of abuse of power. Also included in the list were former Seongnam Mayor Eun Su-mi, who drew public outrage over her links to a criminal gang, and a former vice justice minister convicted of brutally assaulting a taxi driver.
According to Yonhap News Agency, with their legal rights fully restored, these individuals will be eligible to run in elections as early as next year, when voters choose leaders of metropolitan cities, counties, and district offices. Lee's decision has come under scrutiny for including several questionable figures. A pardon is a political decision granting legal forgiveness to those convicted of crimes. Once issued, it overturns court rulings that had held offenders accountable, making it an exceptional power meant to be exercised only for those who truly deserve it.
In practice, however, this strict standard has often been ignored. Pardons have increasingly become a political tool for enabling the return of controversial figures, frequently the result of behind-the-scenes deals. On Aug. 5, Rep. Song Eon-seog, interim leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), was caught on camera texting presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik, requesting the inclusion of several former lawmakers convicted of bribery, fraud, and embezzlement on the pardon list. The PPP denied any official involvement in Song's request, calling it his personal misconduct.
In a statement released Monday, the party criticized Lee for pardoning several problematic politicians. "Pardoning is a presidential power and can only be exercised by the president. Even so, it must be based on common sense and used in a limited way," the statement read. The president once strongly criticized the misuse of pardons. In an October 2021 media interview, when he was still a presidential candidate, Lee called for strict standards in exercising clemency and voiced outright opposition to pardoning two former presidents - Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye.
But four years later, as president, Lee reversed his stance. He decided to pardon two unapologetic politicians - Cho Kuk and Yoon Mee-hyang. Cho, founder of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, has portrayed himself as a political martyr persecuted by rivals, offering no apology for his misconduct. In December, he lost his parliamentary seat after the Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that found him guilty of issuing false certificates to help his two children gain admission to university and medical school. He was also convicted of obstruction of business and sentenced to two years in prison. Eight months into his sentence, he is being granted a pardon. With his record wiped clean, he can now run in future elections.
Yoon, also a former lawmaker, was convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years. Indicted on eight counts, including fraud and embezzlement of donations intended for wartime sex slavery victims, Yoon was charged in September 2020 while still serving in the National Assembly. She managed to complete her four-year Assembly term only because of judicial delays. The Supreme Court ruled against her only in November 2024 - months after her term expired. Had the ruling come while she was still in office, she would have lost her seat. Under the law, lawmakers sentenced to fines of 1 million won or more are stripped of their seats and barred from running for public office for 10 years.
Like Cho, Yoon has shown no signs of remorse. Instead, she lashed out at her critics. "They are attacking me as if I am prey. But peace has come to me, and I just pity them without blaming," she wrote on social media. She also criticized the Supreme Court ruling against her, calling it "ridiculous." The Ministry of Justice defended the pardons as necessary for national unity, citing a politically divided country. The presidential office further argued that opposition politicians outnumbered ruling party members on the list, noting that Cho Kuk is not part of the ruling party. But such justifications have failed to convince critics.