SEOUL—In a move that has stirred political debate, President Yoon Suk Yeol granted a special Liberation Day pardon to former South Gyeongsang Governor Kim Kyoung-soo, reinstating his civil rights and thus enabling him to seek public office again. This decision comes despite opposition from within the ruling party.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the pardon, recommended last week and approved in a Cabinet meeting earlier Tuesday, marks a significant turn in Kim's political career. Kim, a close associate of former President Moon Jae-in, was initially pardoned in December 2022 with five months remaining in his two-year sentence for his involvement in an online opinion manipulation scheme aimed at influencing the 2017 presidential election. However, his civil rights were not restored at that time, preventing him from running for public office until December 2027.
"I will think hard about the role I can play to be of help to our society," Kim stated on his Facebook page following the announcement of his pardon. He is currently studying in Germany and plans to return to South Korea at the end of the year. The restoration of his rights ahead of the Aug. 15 Liberation Day had already been a topic of contention among political circles, with People Power Party chief Han Dong-hoon expressing reservations about Kim's lack of remorse.
Observers speculate that Kim might leverage his reinstated rights to forge a new faction within the main opposition Democratic Party, which is presently under the influence of former party Chairman Lee Jae-myung. Lee is expected to be reelected for a second term at a national convention on Sunday.
The presidential power to grant pardons, often used to foster national harmony or reward good behavior, was also extended to other notable figures on Tuesday. Among them were Cho Yoon-sun, Hyun Ki-hwan, and An Chong-bum, all former senior presidential secretaries during the Park Geun-hye administration, who had faced legal consequences related to their roles in various scandals.
Justice Minister Park Sung-jae noted, "By granting pardons to those implicated in various manipulation schemes across the political aisle, we intended to settle the political discord resulting from it and create an opportunity to move toward the future in unity."
This marks the fifth occasion President Yoon has exercised his pardon powers since his tenure began in May 2022, with the pardons set to take effect on Thursday.