The Office of the President stated on the 11th that the special pardon given on Liberation Day to Cho Kuk, former leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, and former lawmaker Yun Mi-hyang, among others, was the result of careful consideration amid strong social demands. It noted that this pardon did not include any close aides of President Lee Jae-myung, adding that the proportion of opposition figures was higher, which it evaluated as a pardon that shows a willingness to advance toward national unity.
President Lee convened a temporary cabinet meeting that afternoon and approved the list of pardon and reinstatement targets that passed the Ministry of Justice's pardon review committee. The list included many figures from the ruling party, including former leader Cho Kuk, who is serving a two-year prison sentence for college entrance exam fraud and for allegedly covering up investigations during his tenure as chief of the presidential civil affairs office, as well as former Dongyang University professor Jeong Kyung-shim, former lawmaker Choi Kang-wook, former lawmaker Yun Mi-hyang, who is imprisoned for embezzling funds meant for comfort women victims, and former Seoul education superintendent Jo Hee-yeon.
The Office of the President explained the rationale behind the pardon for politicians, stating it was in response to the era's demand for national unity.
Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung noted during a briefing at the Yongsan Office of the President that, "The key principle of this Liberation Day special pardon is to lower the heightened social tension caused by an illegal state of emergency and to revive the stagnated economy through a restoration pardon for the people's livelihood." She added, "To this end, President Lee listened to the opinions of various sectors and considered them deeply."
Regarding the pardon of politicians, she said, "We decided by comprehensively listening to the religious community, civic groups, and both ruling and opposition political circles," adding, "I hope this measure serves as an opportunity for political restoration through dialogue and reconciliation."
The list of pardoned individuals did not include former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young, who received a prison sentence for charges related to remittances to North Korea. In response to questions about this, Spokesperson Kang explained, "When it comes to pardoning politicians or high-ranking public officials, it usually becomes problematic when it involves pardoning close aides. (This time) there is no one we can categorize as President Lee's close aide."
She emphasized, "If we consider the ruling and opposition parties, there are far more politicians corresponding to the opposition side. In that respect, this pardon shows a willingness to move toward social unity and reconciliation regarding symbolic figures involved in incidents that have caused social divides and conflicts."
In the political sphere, the prevailing view is that this pardon is a "factional consolidation disguised as unity." Within the ruling party, opinions on the pardon for former leader Cho Kuk were divided. Concerns arose that if the reinstated former leader runs for key local government elections such as mayor of Seoul or Busan ahead of next year's local elections, it could intensify competition for Democratic Party nominations and potentially lead to a divide in the party's support base in the Honam region, which is considered the party's stronghold. However, it seems that various factions within the Democratic Party, including the pro-Moon Jae-in faction, pro-Lee Jae-myung faction, senior ruling party members, and pro-government civic groups, argued for the necessity of the pardon and reached a decision. Notably, former President Moon Jae-in met with Chief of Staff Woo Sang-ho on the 5th and directly suggested the pardon for former leader Cho Kuk.
Spokesperson Kang said, "(Former leader Cho Kuk) was one of the figures for whom there were many demands for a pardon from various sectors," explaining that it was a result of the President's careful consideration amid very strong and diverse social demands.
Some in the political realm analyze that although this pardon may temporarily consolidate the ruling camp, it poses a significant risk of alienating moderate voters in the future. Given the still high negative public sentiment towards figures like former leader Cho Kuk and former lawmaker Yun Mi-hyang, if the image of 'favoring ruling party figures' solidifies, it could become a burden on the momentum of governance.
The opposition strongly opposed the move. Song Eon-seok, the People Power Party's floor leader, described the pardon as a "pardon for Cho Kuk's loyalists," condemning that this special pardon on Liberation Day, forced through despite public and opposition discontent, would be recorded as a dark chapter in the abuse of presidential pardon power.