People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon said on the 13th regarding the reinstatement of former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyung-soo through a special pardon on August 15, Liberation Day, “There are many who find it difficult to sympathize.”
Representative Han met with reporters after having lunch with senior party members at a restaurant in Yeouido, Seoul, and answered questions about his stance on the reinstatement of former Governor Kim in this way. Representative Han added, “However, since it has already been decided, I will not comment further.”
When asked whether it could be interpreted as “respecting the president’s inherent authority,” one representative said, “Just interpret it as I said.”
Earlier, it was reported that Representative Han had conveyed his opposition to the Office of the President through various channels immediately after the Ministry of Justice made the decision to reinstate former Governor Kim on the 8th. This was because former Governor Kim did not reflect on his actions and party members and supporters were against it. However, the Office of the President stated that “pardons and reinstatements are the exclusive authority of the President,” and in effect, they had no intention of reversing the decision.
The government officially announced a special pardon for Liberation Day, including the reinstatement of former Governor Kim, after a Cabinet meeting on the morning of the 13th. The Ministry of Justice explained, “By pardoning key public officials who were punished for wrongdoings in the course of state affairs but devoted themselves to the country and society as public servants for a long time, as well as politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties, we have created an opportunity for unity and harmony that transcends politics and ideology.”
Former Governor Kim was sentenced to two years in prison for the ‘Drew King comment manipulation’ incident, and was released in December 2022 after serving the remaining five months of his sentence as a New Year’s special pardon. At the time, he was not reinstated, so he was deprived of the right to run for office until December 2027, but with this reinstatement, the restriction was lifted, allowing him to run in the 2026 local elections and the 2027 presidential election.
Kim So-young, Donga.com reporter [email protected]
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2024-08-13 12:46:07