Chairperson Song Eon-seok of the People Power Party stated that he opposes the pardon of politicians in relation to the special pardon on the 15th for Liberation Day. He emphasized that they would also withdraw the list of pardons submitted to the presidential office.
On the afternoon of the 6th, Chairperson Song met with Minister Jeong Seong-ho at the National Assembly and said, "The People Power Party opposes any pardon for politicians on Liberation Day."
He added, "I urge the Minister to make the special pardon focus on civilian offenders, excluding politicians," and stated, "I will also withdraw the list I previously submitted."
The Ministry of Justice plans to hold a special pardon review committee on the 7th to select candidates for the Liberation Day special pardon. After the review, Minister Jeong will report to the President, and after discussions and resolutions at the State Council, the candidates will be finally decided.
A key interest in the Liberation Day special pardon is Cho Kuk, former leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party. It has been revealed that former President Moon Jae-in suggested to the presidential office that Cho be pardoned. Cho was sentenced to two years in prison by the Supreme Court in December for his involvement in his children's entrance exam corruption and allegations of covering up a Blue House inspection.
Chairperson Song requested that the pace of the prosecution reform being promoted by the Democratic Party of Korea be moderated. He also suggested to Minister Jeong to conduct a thorough investigation regarding Representative Lee Chun-seok, who was expelled over allegations of illicit transactions.
Chairperson Song noted, "The People Power Party also agrees on the necessity of prosecution reform, and if the government leads the dialogue for social consensus, the opposition party will actively cooperate," adding that "once an organization is rebuilt, it is not easy to change it back again."
He emphasized, "I ask for your oversight to ensure that the investigation of Representative Lee Chun-seok is conducted fairly and impartially," stating it is a serious violation of national integrity for violating the internal level of the National Assembly for personal benefit while being involved in the selection of AI national representative corporations.
Minister Jeong replied, "I will communicate and have sufficient discussions about the prosecution reform with both ruling and opposition lawmakers," and asked the leading opposition party to effectively convey the voices of the people.