hankyoreh

former Samsung Group Chairman

Ruling and opposition parties are voicing opposition to the pardon and restoration of former Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

At a Tuesday meeting of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, ruling and opposition party lawmakers told Justice Minister Lee Kwi-nam that the government should restrain itself from handing a pardon to Lee because it would provoke public emotion.

Democratic Party (DP) Lawmaker Lee Choon-suak asked if arguing that Lee should be pardoned just four months after he received ruling a three year prison term with a five-year suspension for malfeasance and tax evasion in order to win the Winter Olympic games for Pyeongchang would give tacit approval of the idea that the law can at any time take a back seat. He pointed out that the right course of action would be to follow Korean legalism and the concerns of the people concerning the law, and for the justice minister to tell President Lee that a pardon cannot be handed out.

Cho Soon-hyung, lawmaker of the Liberty Forward Party, sharply criticized Justice Minister Lee for coming before the assembly’s budget committee on Dec. 11 and telling lawmakers that he would promptly consider pardoning Lee. Cho said prosecutors and courts wrangled over the Everland case for 10 years, and asked if by signing a pardon, the president could nullify it all in just one morning. He said the justice minister should have clearly stated that a pardon was out of the question, considering the president’s campaign pledge to refrain from misusing pardons, the spirit of the Pardon Law and law and principles.

Grand National Party (GNP) Lawmaker Lee Ju-young also said it was unfortunate that one more International Olympic Committee (IOC) member could be dispatched to conduct sports diplomacy to bring the Olympic Games to Pyeongchang, but even if one has such an ambition, only by holding off on a pardon could South Korea become a developed democracy. Lawmaker Lee appealed to the justice minister to tell the president that this is what lawmakers from not only the opposition parties, but also the ruling party are saying.

In response, Justice Minister Lee said in principle, he does not believe a pardon is desirable, but because an appeal has been submitted, it must be considered quickly and a decision must be reached. He also said, however, that he would sufficiently consider what was being pointed out to him by lawmakers.

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