Lee's first amnesty, marking the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, pardoned some 836,687 individuals, including around 2,000 minor offenders convicted of livelihood-related crimes and about 20 business moguls, in a move aimed at "promoting unity in the country."
Cho was pardoned less than a year after receiving a two-year prison sentence last December for corruption and document forgery related to his children's university admissions.
After his release, Cho described the pardon as "a symbolic step toward ending the abuse of power." He argued that the investigation had stemmed from politically motivated investigations rather than solely from the charges against him. Cho thanked Lee, said he would "respectfully listen" to critics, and vowed to make a humble return to politics.
Apart from Cho, several figures accused of irregularities and other wrongdoings, including Cho's wife Chung Kyung-shim, former lawmakers Choe Kang-wook and Yoon Mee-hyang, and former Seoul education chief Cho Hee-yeon, were also pardoned or had their rights reinstated.
Meanwhile, main opposition People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo expressed opposition to Lee’s pardon of some figures including Cho during a Liberation Day ceremony on Friday morning. His party’s leadership also said they would not attend the president’s inauguration ceremony later in the day to protest Lee’s decision.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
View more comments