Yoon considering pardons for Liberation Day

▲ President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul on July 18, 2023. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

Yoon-pardons

Yoon considering pardons for Liberation Day

SEOUL, July 21 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol is considering granting special pardons to a number of people on the occasion of Aug. 15 Liberation Day, a ruling bloc official said Friday, leading to speculation the list could include officials who served under former President Park Geun-hye.

This would be the third time Yoon has granted presidential pardons after those marking Liberation Day last year and New Year's Day this year.

"There's a chance President Yoon will grant special pardons on Liberation Day this year as well," the senior ruling bloc official told Yonhap News Agency. "It's currently under consideration."

Among potential beneficiaries are An Chong-bum, a former senior presidential secretary for policy coordination during the Park administration, and former Second Vice Culture Minister Kim Chong.

Both were sentenced to prison terms in connection with their roles in a massive influence-peddling scandal that led to Park's ouster.

From among businesspeople, Choi Gee-sung, a former head of Samsung's now-disbanded control tower Future Strategy Office, and his former deputy, Chang Choong-ki, are among the names being talked about.

The two former Samsung executives were also sentenced to prison terms in connection with the same scandal.

Meanwhile, Yoon has canceled his summer vacation plans for now to focus on handling the aftermath of recent deadly downpours across the nation, according to a presidential official.

Yoon was initially believed to be planning to go on vacation in the first week of August.

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