General Politics: Politics: News: Hankyoreh 21

Will former Presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak be pardoned? On the first day of the new year, the controversy is intensifying after the Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon raised the pardon for the two former presidents on the basis of national unity. The Democratic Party said, “The public consensus and reflection of the parties are important. I decided to respect the will of the people and party members in the future” (by the Supreme Council on Jan. 3), but the aftershock continues.

The Supreme Court ruling on January 14th

Why did CEO Nak-yeon Lee throw up an amnesty that seems somewhat unexpected from the beginning of the new year? He is more than after the Democratic Party’s influential presidential election on March 9, 2022. Representative Lee explained that it was because he set his core brand as’integration’ as a presidential candidate. In his 2021 New Year’s address, Lee said, “We will alleviate social conflicts and achieve national unity.” He also said in a media interview, “Our social conflict has become more acute. Leaving this conflict as it is (during the Corona 19 crisis), I don’t think we can move forward” (January 4, 2021), repeatedly emphasizing integration. Representative Lee said, “The pardon is not an unexpected proposal. Conservative group meetings continued in Gwanghwamun from the time of the issue of Cho Kook, former Minister of Justice to Corona 19. Watching this since the days of Prime Minister Lee, Lee saw that our society cannot move forward without unity. The goal is to unite, and as a means to raise the amnesty of the two former presidents.” It is also interpreted as a dimension to ease the burden on President Moon Jae-in. In an interview with the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) on May 9, 2019, President Moon replied, “It is difficult to say because the trial (by former President Park Geun-hye) has not yet been confirmed.” On January 14, the Supreme Court is scheduled to sentence former President Park Geun-hye’s ruling for re-appeal. This is the final judgment of the judiciary. Then, at a New Year’s press conference held in mid-January, when a question about amnesty comes up, President Moon must give an answer in some way. Another official on the side of Lee Nak-yeon said, “There will also be aspects of helping the president if the ruling party representative raises an amnesty in advance.” Prior to the press conference, the ruling party’s representative announced that he would propose to the president the pardons of the two former presidents, so Lee took the charge against the backlash from the supporters of the passport. If so, was there a prior sympathy between the Blue House and the ruling party? Representative Lee said, “There was no rapport with the Blue House.” However, prior to raising the pardon, in December 2020, President Lee interviewed President Moon twice. The observation that Lee, who is cautious about his usual words and actions, would have made a stand alone on the issue of the special pardon, which is the president’s own authority, without sympathy with the Blue House, is an observation from both inside and outside the political sphere.

The President’s New Year’s press conference in mid-January

The amnesty is also an appeal to the middle class, who are recently departing from the Democratic Party support group ahead of the Seoul-Busan mayoral by-election. Representative Lee said, “Integration also means to embrace the middle class.” Following the amnesty, CEO Lee plans to soon announce the’New Welfare System’ and the real estate policy initiative, which corresponds to the’Integrated’ series policy. Regarding the content of the new welfare system, representative Lee said, “Each person faces different difficulties in the Corona 19 crisis. Jobs in their 20s and 30s, housing for newlyweds, childcare and education for those in their 30s and 40s, and medical expenses for the elderly are the most important. Self-employed and small and medium-sized enterprises have different grievances. We will present a’customized welfare system’ by generation and scale.” The opposition prevails, or the pros and cons of the two former presidents’ pardons. According to the results of the National Indicators Survey (NBS) conducted on January 4-6 with 1009 people aged 18 years or older across the country, “disapproval” (opposite amnesty) was 58%, compared to “empathy” (approved) 38%. It was significantly higher (95% confidence level, sample error ±3.1% points). Opinions differed greatly by the supporting parties. 73% of the Democratic Party supporters disapproved, and 72% of the people’s strength supporters. Earlier, in a survey conducted by Real Meter on January 5 of 500 people aged 18 years or older, the positive (47.7%) and the negative (48%) were opposite (95% confidence level, sample error ±4.4% points). In this survey, 88.8% of the Democratic Party supporters were opposed, while 81.4% of the people’s power supporters were in favor. It is an unusual shape, with the ruling party’s supporters fiercely opposed to the issues raised by the ruling party’s representative, and the opposition party’s supporters. The internal public opinion of Democratic Party lawmakers does not seem to be much different from the supporters. One Democratic Party member said, “Even among lawmakers, opinions are divided into agnostic, premature and inevitable, but premature and premature are the most.” The’premature theory’ is similar to the position laid down by the Supreme Council of the Democratic Party. Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Young-ho said, “Chun Doo-hwan, who was pardoned in the past, still does not admit helicopter shooting or human rights abuses at the time of May 18. The controversy continues as if Chun Doo-Hwan’s mistake was indulged through pardon. Former Presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak also insisted on premature theory, saying, “Before pardoning, you must first admit your mistakes.”

If the pardon is executed, it will lead to’conflict’ rather than’integration’

There is also a voice of opposition from within the power of the people. “It’s not that we raised the (pardon) first, but it’s uncomfortable because of the (Democratic Party’s) story, such as’Mani becomes an apology,’ and’I need an apology.’ I felt that I was being condemned.” Regarding the high public opinion against Korea, an analysis suggests that the issue of amnesty itself was a problem, or that the amnesty was raised in a timely manner. One Democratic Party member feared, “If the pardon for the two former presidents is executed in a state of high opposition or divided opinions, the’conflict’ rather than’unification’ could be intensified.” Current affairs critic Yoo Chang-seon said, “It is difficult to get sympathy from the ruling party supporters because they were unable to demonstrate unified leadership in the face of the severe conflict between Chu Mi-ae (Minister of Justice) and Seok-yeol Yoon (Prosecutor General). Pointed out. Yoon Tae-gon, head of the Agenda and Strategy Group’s The Moa Political Analysis Division, said, “I am sorry to have formed a consensus with the Democratic Party lawmakers in advance and raise a unified message when the ruling party approval rate was a bit good.” Now the ball goes to President Moon Jae-in, who has special pardon authority. What answer will President Moon give at the New Year’s press conference in mid-January? By Kim Kyu-nam, staff reporter [email protected]