President Lee Jae-myung will convene a temporary Cabinet meeting on the 11th to decide on special pardons and reinstatements. Initially, the Cabinet meeting to finalize the subjects of the special pardon has been moved up by one day.
Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a notice, "Tomorrow (the 11th) at 2:30 p.m., the 35th temporary Cabinet meeting is scheduled to be held," adding that "the agenda will include one general item, which is to deliberate and decide on matters concerning special pardons, special reductions, special reinstatements, and special reductions of fees."
Initially, the Presidential Office was scheduled to hold a Cabinet meeting on the 12th to deliberate and decide on the special pardon candidates recommended by the Public Interest Committee. The rescheduling of the Cabinet meeting is interpreted as an effort to swiftly address controversy surrounding the 'politician pardon' since this is the first pardon implemented by President Lee.
The Ministry of Justice's Special Pardon Review Committee recommended candidates for the Liberation Day special pardon and reinstatement to President Lee on the 7th. It is reported that the special pardon candidates include former Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk, former Dongyang University professor Jeong Kyung-shim, former lawmaker Choi Kang-wook, former lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang, and former Seoul Superintendent of Education Jo Hee-yeon.
Among the special pardon candidates recommended by the Public Interest Committee, the couple Cho Kuk and his wife, as well as former lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang, have garnered significant attention. In particular, it has been reported that former President Moon Jae-in directly requested a pardon for Cho on the 5th at his residence in Yangsan, Gyeongnam, to Chief of Political Affairs Woo Sang-ho at the Presidential Office. When controversy arose over the pardon for Yoon, she stated on social media, "Those who criticize are truly pitiful."