Went to change the words of “there is no pardon for the 5 major crimes such as bribery”

As the Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon said on the 1st that he intends to propose (special pardon for the two former presidents) to the president, the wave of the political sphere is growing. On the 3rd, the Blue House said, “The Blue House has no position regarding amnesty” (a senior official).

One of the concerns is whether President Moon Jae-in will accept the pardon of former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye if Lee suggests pardon. One of the factors that will make President Moon’s decision difficult is his presidential election pledge. In April 2017, President Moon published a book of pledges, “Making a country like a country,” and released 201 key pledges. One of them was that he would not pardon the five major corruption crimes of bribery, misrepresentation, misrepresentation, negation, and embezzlement.

However, former President Lee was sentenced to 17 years in prison last October after being accused of receiving bribes from Samsung and embezzling DAS funds from the Supreme Court. This is a corruption crime that President Moon pledged not to give an amnesty. Former President Park has not yet been sentenced to the Supreme Court, but in July last year, the Seoul Court imposed a 15-year prison sentence, a fine of 18 billion won, and a supplement of 200 million won on charges of accepting bribes related to his duties while in office at a remand retrial. Sentenced.

If President Moon pardons former Presidents Park and Lee, he will face a backlash of breaking his pledge. Lee Jae-mook, professor of political science and diplomacy at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said, “The discussion of amnesty is not a legal or institutional discussion, but a political discussion. The current government blamed’Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye’ at the beginning of their term of office, but would the people understand if they suddenly said pardon? In particular, the priority should be to seek the consent of the people who came to the candlelight vigil.” It is a burden to President Moon that the voices of the pro-moon Gangkyung group opposing the amnesty are erupting online.

However, the political circles are paying attention to the subtle change in President Moon’s position on amnesty. In April 2017, when former President Park’s acceptance of the pardon was controversial in the presidential election competition, President Moon said, “I have never thought about the pardon.” At the same time, he drew a line saying, “I don’t really understand and don’t understand to talk about the right to pardon immediately after Park was arrested.”

However, in an interview with KBS in May 2019, “The situation in which the two former presidents are facing, one is on bail, but is still being tried, and one is in custody is really heartbreaking.” “Because I am my predecessor, I am the most It hurts and the burden is great.” At the time, it was evaluated that Moon left the possibility of pardoning the two former presidents.

Also, at the beginning of his inauguration, President Moon limitedly used the’politician’s right to amnesty’, such as pardoning former lawmaker Jeong Bong-ju among politicians. However, in December 2019, Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Gwang-jae and former superintendent of education Kwak Roh-hyun were pardoned, broadening the range of politicians. The president’s position on the use of the Moon’s amnesty has been somewhat dull.

In particular, there are observations that President Moon can accept the proposal for the pardon of former Presidents Park and Lee in order to find the momentum for a rebound in approval ratings. Lee Hyun-chul, a professor at Konkuk University’s Department of Political Science and Diplomacy, said, “There was a great deal of criticism against President Moon for dividing the people with camp logic. “I think President Moon can throw two former presidents’ pardon cards to make up for such criticism and get a middle-class vote for re-creation of the regime.”

President Moon is expected to reveal his position on the amnesty of the two former presidents at a New Year’s press conference, which is expected to take place later this month.

Reporter Yoon Seongmin [email protected]