Special counsel probes of Yoon couple 'people's demand': presidential office
Kang Yu-jung, Lee's spokesperson, told a press briefing that "getting to the bottom of insurrection is the demand of the people, as the results of the presidential election show."
The opposition People Power Party said that the special counsel investigations were of an "unprecedented size costing billions of won," with a total of 577 prosecutors and investigators.
"The sheer size of the investigations is tantamount to a single district attorney's office," the People Power Party said in a statement Wednesday, saying the Democratic Party of Korea has "created its own district attorney's office."
Tuesday's Cabinet meeting approved the ruling Democratic Party-led bills for opening special counsel investigations into the former first couple, with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik asking President Lee Jae-myung to appoint special counsels to lead the investigations.
The special counsels would look into allegations that Yoon committed either insurrection or treason by trying to impose martial law on Dec. 3.
They would also scrutinize allegations that Yoon's wife Kim, meddled in the People Power Party's nomination process for a National Assembly seat in the 2022 by-election.
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Korea Herald
11 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Cho Kuk released after 8 months in prison under Liberation Day pardon
Cho Kuk, a former justice minister and leader of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, was released from prison early Friday after serving eight months in jail over academic fraud involving his children and unlawful interference in a government inspection. Cho, who had previously served as a senior presidential aide to Moon Jae-in, left the Seoul Southern Detention Center in Guro-gu, western Seoul, at 12:02 a.m. Friday. He is one of the beneficiaries of a special pardon from President Lee Jae Myung granted ahead of the Aug. 15 National Liberation Day. South Korean presidents have traditionally issued pardons to commemorate important national holidays, such as Liberation Day, celebrating Korea's 1945 independence from Japanese colonial rule, to reward the good behavior of offenders and foster national harmony. The 60-year-old was put behind bars and began what was to be a two-year prison term on Dec. 16, 2024, after the Supreme Court upheld his conviction. 'My pardon, reinstatement and release will be recorded as a symbolic moment, marking the end of the prosecutorial dictatorship that has long abused its power,' Cho told reporters as he left the prison. 'The Rebuilding Korea Party fought against the Yoon Suk Yeol administration to end the prosecution dictatorship since its creation. Yoon's regime committed an anti-constitutional coup; it was repelled by the people.' He added, 'The far-right People Power Party, which still continues to protect Yoon, must face judgment once again.' Cho expressed the hope that democratic and progressive parties would work together, emphasizing that he would devote himself and contribute to this united front. He also expressed gratitude to President Lee. 'I deeply thank President Lee Jae Myung for making this constitutional decision. I listen with respect to those who have criticized my pardon,' he said. 'The Lee Jae Myung administration is created by the people's resistance and sovereignty. This administration must succeed and President Lee must become a successful president.' Cho insisted that he would accept all criticism, opposition and even slanderous remarks directed at him as he continues his political work. A total of 2,188 people with criminal convictions received a presidential pardon. Former Seoul education chief Cho Hee-yeon, who lost his seat after he was convicted of abusing his power in the process of hiring five teachers, and former Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Yoon Mi-hyang, who was handed down a suspended sentence for embezzling donations to the victims of sex slavery during Japan's colonial rule, were included among those pardoned. Though Cho Kuk was set to be barred from running for public office for five years after the completion of his two-year prison term -- meaning he would effectively be stripped of eligibility to run for office until December 2031, the presidential pardon removed the restrictions on his political activities as it restores his civil rights.
Korea Herald
12 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Lee says no plans to absorb N. Korea, urges Japan to face up to history for future
President Lee Jae Myung vowed to respect North Korea's system, in the latest of Seoul's reconciliatory moves to resume inter-Korean dialogue, in his speech to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula, Friday. "We affirm our respect for the North's current system, aver that we will not pursue any form of unification by absorption and assert that we have no intention of engaging in hostile acts," Lee said in the ceremony to commemorate the Liberation Day holiday at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul. This effectively reverses disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's bid in 2024 to achieve a unified Korean Peninsula. Yoon had said, "The freedom we enjoy must be extended to the frozen kingdom of the North." Reversing Yoon's stance, Lee said that he would take "proactive, gradual steps" to restore the 2018 inter-Korean military pact that was suspended by the Yoon administration in 2024. This could be achieved through actions, such as Seoul's latest move to remove loudspeakers along the border aimed to the North. "Trust is built through actions, not words," he said. Stressing that now is the time to move beyond Cold War mentalities, Lee expressed the hope that Seoul's efforts to restore trust will yield corresponding measures from Pyongyang. "I hope that North Korea will reciprocate our efforts to restore trust and revive dialogue," Lee said. The liberal administration will also seek peace on the Korean Peninsula through denuclearization on the back of international support, Lee said, adding inter-Korean and US-North Korea dialogue could contribute to a peaceful resolution. Regarding the relationship with Japan, which Lee described as "an indispensable partner in our economic development," the liberal president highlighted a "long, fraught history" between the two countries, adding that unresolved historical grievances still haunt the relationship between the two countries. "It is time to squarely face the past while also wisely stepping forward into the future," Lee said. "I hope that the Japanese government will squarely face up to our painful history and strive to maintain trust between our two countries."
Korea Herald
13 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Ex-minister Cho Kuk set free under presidential pardon
Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk was released from prison early Friday under a presidential pardon, after serving eight months of his sentence for academic fraud involving his daughter. Cho, who founded and formerly headed the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, has been serving a two-year prison term since December for academic fraud concerning his children and unlawful interference with a government inspection. Earlier this week, President Lee Jae Myung decided to pardon Cho and his wife, Chung Kyung-sim, among others, as part of the president's special amnesty for Liberation Day. "I'd like to extend my deep gratitude to President Lee Jae Myung for making a constitutional determination," he told reporters upon his release. "I am also listening with respect to those who have been critical of the presidential pardon for me." He fired a broadside at the main opposition People Power Party and ousted conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol for his martial law bid late last year, while stressing the importance of unity in the nation's liberal bloc. Cho's amnesty, which will restore his eligibility to run for public office, is expected to have an impact on the country's political landscape, particularly ahead of next year's local elections and the next presidential race. His reinstatement as his party's member is expected next week. Once a rising star in politics under the former Moon Jae-in government, Cho was widely considered a potential presidential contender, especially after his party won 12 parliamentary seats in the 2024 general elections to become the third-largest party in the National Assembly. His political career unraveled after facing a string of corruption scandals involving his family. His wife, Chung, also received a suspended sentence for forging documents related to her son's college admission. (Yonhap)
