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Korea Herald
an hour ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
[Editorial] Pardons for power
Presidential clemency rewards the powerful, aids political allies, while defying public sentiment Liberation Day on South Korea's political calendar has often doubled as a day for presidential pardons. The tradition is defended as a gesture toward national unity. This year, President Lee Jae Myung's first list of pardons since taking office was notable less for its length than for its politically insensitive timing and implications. The list of beneficiaries announced Monday includes former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, convicted of academic fraud and abuse of power; his wife Chung Kyung-shim; and Yoon Mi-hyang, found guilty of embezzling donations meant for former wartime sex slaves. The symbolism is awkward enough; the timing — barely two months into his presidency — makes it worse. The official explanation was familiar: the need to heal divisions and revive the economy. Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho spoke of 'overcoming social conflict,' while the presidential office invoked 'dialogue and reconciliation.' Yet the list reads less like a unifying gesture than a political favor bank being settled. It grants political resurrection to figures whose crimes struck at the very values that any democratic administration must safeguard, such as fairness, probity and respect for law. Cho Kuk's fall was swift and public. Once a celebrated law professor and a key ally of former President Moon Jae-in, he resigned as justice minister after 35 days amid allegations that he forged documents for his children's university admissions. Courts found him guilty; his daughter lost her medical license. Neither Cho nor his wife has meaningfully acknowledged wrongdoing or sincerely apologized. Another controversial figure on the pardon list is Yoon Mi-hyang, who diverted funds intended for some of Korea's most vulnerable citizens — survivors of Japan's wartime sexual slavery — and ignored court recommendations to return the money. The list extends beyond high-profile names. Former lawmaker Choe Kang-wook, who issued a false internship certificate for Cho's son, and former Seoul Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon, convicted of abusing his hiring powers, are also rehabilitated. The roll call includes politicians from both the ruling and opposition camps convicted of bribery and other crimes. Even SK Networks' former chairman Choi Shin-won, sentenced for embezzling billions of won, is restored. Progressive advocacy groups have warned that the move risks inflaming, rather than easing, public sentiment. Notably, a Realmeter poll released Monday showed Lee's approval rating fell 6.8 percentage points from the previous week to 56.5 percent, marking the sharpest decline since he took office. The irony is striking. Last year, as opposition leader, Lee criticized then-President Yoon Suk Yeol's pardons of conservative allies as an overreach of executive power, arguing that such decisions undermined the judicial process and weakened the separation of powers. By that same standard, Lee now faces similar criticism for his own pardons. The symmetry of partisan indignation — condemning in opposition what one defends in office — is an enduring feature of Korean politics. It is also a principal reason presidential pardons have become public-trust poison. Pardons, especially for politicians, must meet a high threshold: They should be rare, proportionate and broadly acceptable to the public. They are not tools for rewarding allies or neutralizing adversaries. When granted to figures who neither express remorse nor accept responsibility, they signal that political connection outweighs the rule of law. President Lee's Liberation Day pardons may bring short-term political gains, but they undermine a far more precious asset: public trust in impartial justice and disciplined leadership. The damage extends beyond slipping approval ratings, already evident, and will reveal itself starkly in future crises when calls for fairness fall on deaf ears. The enduring lesson, repeatedly ignored by successive administrations, is that without clear and transparent standards, presidential pardons become not symbols of unity but annual exercises in political hypocrisy, a legacy South Korea can no longer afford.
Free Malaysia Today
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
S. Korea to pardon ex-justice minister over academic forgery
Cho Kuk will be released on Friday after eight months in prison. (EPA Images pic) SEOUL : South Korea's former justice minister will be pardoned this week after serving less than half of his sentence for academic fraud related to his children's college admissions, authorities announced today. Once a rising political star, Cho Kuk had been tipped to run for president before an academic admissions scandal engulfed his family and set off protests in 2019. Both Cho and his wife, Chung Kyung-sim, were eventually convicted and given sentences of two and four years, respectively. Chun was released on parole in 2023 after serving most of her sentence. Cho will be released on Friday after eight months in prison. 'We have included 27 key public officials and politicians in the pardons list, taking into account their contributions to the state and the severity of their crimes. Key figures to be pardoned include Cho Kuk,' justice minister Jung Sung-ho said at a press briefing announcing the Liberation Day pardons. Formerly a high-profile legal academic and aide to ex-president Moon Jae-in, Cho was appointed to lead the justice ministry in 2019. Shortly after, his family became embroiled in the admissions scandal, and he was accused of forging documents that would give his son and daughter advantages in their college and graduate school admissions. He was also found guilty of taking an online exam for his son at a US university. 'The nature of his crimes is grave, as he exploited his position as a college professor to obstruct admissions processes over many years,' Seoul's central district court said while sentencing Cho. The verdict initially did little to slow his rising political star. His newly founded Rebuilding Korea party capitalised on voters' discontent with the two main political parties to pick up 12 seats – including his own – in last year's elections. As an MP, Cho was at the forefront of efforts to impeach president Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived martial law declaration, which plunged South Korea into political chaos. But when the Supreme Court upheld Cho's conviction in December 2024, he was forced to relinquish his seat and present himself to prison.
NHK
a day ago
- Politics
- NHK
S.Korean President Lee pardons former Justice Minister Cho
South Korea's government has announced its first pardons since President Lee Jae-myung took office, granting clemency to figures including a former justice minister convicted over his children's fraudulent university admission. The pardons announced on Monday will take effect on August 15, the anniversary of the end of Japanese colonial rule. Former minister Cho Kuk was sentenced last December to two years in prison for charges including academic fraud. He served as justice minister in 2019 under the administration of President Moon Jae-in, but resigned over a series of scandals involving his relatives. Cho headed the liberal Rebuilding Korea Party last year and was a vocal critic of the previous Yoon Suk-yeol government. Speculation is mounting over whether he will stage a political comeback. Also pardoned is Youn Mee-hyang, the former head of a civic group supporting those referred to as wartime comfort women. She received a suspended sentence last November for misappropriating donations, among other charges. The pardons have drawn criticism from the main opposition party, which says they represent a collapse of the rule of law.
Washington Post
a day ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
South Korea's president to pardon jailed ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea's president will pardon jailed former justice minister and liberal ally Cho Kuk this week, officials said Monday, cutting short his two-year sentence for falsifying academic records to help his children enter prestigious schools. The decision will also reinstate Cho's right to run in elections, likely reviving a political career once seen as having presidential aspirations. But it could also prove to be a divisive move for liberal President Lee Jae Myung, as the scandal surrounding Cho had struck a deep nerve in a country notorious for its educational zeal and fiercely competitive school environment.
The Sun
a day ago
- Politics
- The Sun
South Korea pardons ex-justice minister Cho Kuk in academic fraud case
SEOUL: South Korea will pardon former justice minister Cho Kuk this week after he served less than half of his two-year sentence for academic fraud. The scandal involved forged documents to secure college admissions advantages for his children. Cho, once a rising political star, had been considered a potential presidential candidate before the 2019 scandal. His wife Chung Kyung-sim received a four-year sentence and was paroled in 2023 after serving most of her term. Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho confirmed Cho's inclusion in the Liberation Day pardons list alongside 26 other officials. Cho previously served as a legal scholar and aide to former president Moon Jae-in before leading the justice ministry. Investigations revealed he falsified documents to benefit his son and daughter's university applications. A court found him guilty of even taking an online exam on his son's behalf at a US institution. Seoul's Central District Court condemned his abuse of power as a professor to manipulate admissions processes. Despite his conviction, Cho's Rebuilding Korea party won 12 parliamentary seats in 2024 elections. He led impeachment efforts against President Yoon Suk Yeol over a controversial martial law declaration. The Supreme Court's December 2024 verdict upholding his conviction forced Cho to resign from parliament. Authorities cited his public service contributions when justifying the controversial pardon decision. Search Intent Keywords: Cho Kuk pardon, South Korea academic fraud, justice minister scandal, college admissions forgery, Rebuilding Korea party. - AFP
