The Presidential Office said on the 27th regarding the demand for a pardon for former Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk, "The right to grant pardons is a unique power of the president," adding, "There has been no discussion at the detailed level or any meetings on that matter."
On the same day, Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung responded to reporters' questions regarding whether there had been demands for a pardon for former representative Cho from the ruling party, particularly in relation to the consideration of a Liberation Day pardon.
It is interpreted that this is an effort to quell the growing discussion of pardons, particularly after it became known that National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik met with former representative Cho ahead of the special pardon for Liberation Day on Aug. 15. Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kang Deuk-gu said on the 26th on his Facebook account, "Former representative Cho and his family have already paid a heavy price for their sins," and he added, "I propose the pardon of former representative Cho on Aug. 15.
Former representative Cho was sentenced to two years in prison by the Supreme Court in December last year on charges related to entrance exam corruption for his children and the covering up of Blue House investigations. He is set to be released after serving his sentence in December next year.
Meanwhile, Spokesperson Kang said regarding the controversy over the past remarks of Ministry of Personnel Management Commissioner Choi Dong-seok, "There is no particular answer yet."