President Lee Jae-myung Finalizes Liberation Day Special Pardons and Full Reinstatement of Cho Kuk

President Lee Jae-myung has finalized the long-anticipated list of individuals to receive special pardons and reinstatements in commemoration of Korea’s Liberation Day. On August 11, President Lee convened an extraordinary cabinet meeting at 2:30 p.m., dedicated exclusively to the discussion and approval of the “one-point” pardon agenda—distinct from the regular cabinet session, which had a heavy slate of industrial and policy items. The Office of the President clarified that the special meeting was arranged due to the already crowded regular agenda.

According to the government, a total of 836,687 people will be granted special pardons effective August 15, including Cho Kuk, former leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party. The pardons encompass a wide range of recipients: 1,920 ordinary criminal offenders, 27 politicians and high-ranking officials, 16 business leaders, and 184 individuals including labor union members, street vendors, and farmers.

The Ministry of Justice’s pardon review committee had submitted its recommendations on August 7. Reports indicate the list includes prominent figures from both the ruling and opposition camps, such as Cho Kuk and his wife, Chung Kyung-shim, former Democratic Party lawmakers Choi Kang-wook and Yoon Mee-hyang, former Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon, as well as conservative politicians such as Hong Moon-jong and Jeong Chan-min, both former members of the Saenuri Party and People Power Party.

The prevailing view among political observers was that the list approved by the pardon review committee would pass through the cabinet unchanged, and today’s confirmation finally resolved speculation over whether Cho Kuk would be among those pardoned. Cho, who had been serving a sentence for admissions misconduct and suppression of Blue House audits, will now have his criminal record expunged.

Notably, Cho’s wife Chung Kyung-shim, former Democratic lawmakers Choi Kang-wook and Yoon Mee-hyang, Cho Hee-yeon (former superintendent), Yoon Geon-young (current lawmaker), Baek Won-woo (former Blue House civil affairs secretary), and former Environment Minister Kim Eun-kyung, are among many ruling bloc figures set to receive clemency. Conservative opposition figures, including Hong Moon-jong and Jeong Chan-min, were also included. Notably, from South Korea’s business sector, Choi Shin-won (former chairman of SK Networks), Choi Ji-sung (former Samsung Electronics vice chairman), and ex-Samsung executives Jang Chung-ki and Park Sang-jin were among those pardoned and reinstated.

With this dual pardon and reinstatement, Cho Kuk regains eligibility for political activity, permitting him to run in next June’s local elections as well as in the presidential race.

The government also included a large number of ordinary citizens and labor activists in this round of pardons. Individuals jailed during labor strikes under the previous administration, such as construction union and cargo solidarity union leaders, were reportedly included. According to a ruling bloc official, political pardons constitute only one part of the initiative, with a majority aimed at restoring rights for everyday citizens.

While the opposition criticized the move as “favoritism toward their own allies,” many from the ruling side described it as a meaningful gesture to reinvigorate momentum for prosecutorial reform.

Earlier on the same day, President Lee hosted an official welcoming ceremony and summit with Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, who is on a four-day state visit to Korea. Marking the 10th anniversary of the Korea-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, the nations pledged to boost bilateral trade to $150 billion by 2030 and signed 10 memoranda of understanding for cooperation in areas including nuclear power, high-speed rail, new city development, finance, science and technology, and renewable energy. The two leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to peace on the Korean Peninsula. In the evening, a state banquet attended by the leaders, their spouses, and prominent figures from government, business, and culture was scheduled.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Yonhap News Agency