This year, it is expected that there will be no special pardons for Liberation Day, with only parole for model inmates being implemented.
According to legal sources on the 11th, the Ministry of Justice held a parole review committee the previous day to begin selecting candidates for parole. The review reportedly considers the inmate's behavior, remaining sentence, and risk of reoffending.
The Ministry of Justice plans to actively expand parole for inmates with a low risk of reoffending, especially in light of worsening conditions in correctional facilities due to overcrowding and extreme heat.
However, it has been reported that procedures for a special pardon are not currently underway. The process involves the Ministry of Justice reviewing candidates and criteria, followed by a review committee that reports the results to the President, and then a final decision by the Cabinet.
Given that preparation takes more than a month and considering the time remaining until Liberation Day, analysts suggest that a special pardon this year is effectively unlikely.
President Lee Jae-myung implemented a large-scale special pardon for 836,687 individuals during his first Liberation Day in office last year. This included several politicians, such as former Justice Party leader Jo Kuk and former lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang, as well as business figures like Choi Ji-sung, former head of Samsung's Future Strategy Office.
Since then, no special pardons have been granted during Christmas last year, New Year this year, or on March 1st.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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