South Korean President Lee Myung-bak yesterday pardoned the brother of his late predecessor in a special amnesty affecting some 2,500 convicts, including politicians and business leaders.
A total of 2,493 convicts will be pardoned, reinstated, or have their sentences commuted in the pardon which aims to boost “national unity” during celebrations of the 65th anniversary of liberation from Japanese colonial rule.
They include Roh Gun-pyeong, elder brother of late former South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun, who was convicted of taking bribes from a businessman.
The former president was not implicated in the case, but killed himself in May last year after being questioned about separate payments to his family.
Lee also pardoned convicted businessmen, including Lee Hak-soo, former vice chairman of Samsung Electronics who is still considered chairman Lee Kun-hee’s right-hand man, and Dongbu Group chairman Kim Jun-ki.
Most of the convicted businessmen are already free after receiving suspended jail terms.
The largest group of beneficiaries from the pardons were 2,375 illegal campaigners, convicted of violating election laws in the 2006 local elections and the 2007 presidential election.
Also included were four foreigners who were victims of spouse abuse or have children to take care of.
Among the four was a 20-year-old Cambodian woman who served 17 months of her 48-month jail term for killing her husband, who beat her severely under the influence of alcohol while she was pregnant with their first child.
Sex offenders were excluded from the list.
South Korea has a history of pardoning tycoons, despite criticism that the government is too lenient on the rich.
A year ago, Lee pardoned business leaders such as Hyundai Motor chairman Chung Mong-koo and SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won.
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