RIVAL PARTIES CLASH OVER SPECIAL PARDONS

[Anchor Lead]

Rival parties are locking horns over the pardon deliberation committee of the Justice Ministry's decision to include former President Lee Myung-bak and former Gyeongsangnam-do Governor Kim Kyoung-soo in the year-end special pardon list . Now all there is left is President Yoon's decision. The pardon will be reviewed and voted on at the cabinet meeting presided by the President this week.

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Ex-President Lee Myung-bak was sentenced to 17 years in prison for receiving bribes. His sentence is in suspension but it is highly likely that the remaining 15 years of his sentence is to be cleared. The pardon deliberation committee of the Justice Ministry has included him in the year-end special pardon list. Also included in the list was former Gyeongsangnam-do Governor Kim Kyoung-soo, who was sentenced to two years in prison for online comments rigging. He submitted a letter refusing to be paroled, saying that he doesn't want to be pardoned together with the ex-president, but the committee decided to pardon him without reinstatement. Other political bigwigs from the Park Geun-hye administration were on the list such as former Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Ki-chun, former Presidential Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Woo Byung-woo, and Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Choi Kyoung-hwan. Members of the opposition party are also to be pardoned. They are former Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Jun Byung-hun and former Democratic Party representative Shin Gye-ryun. The ruling and opposition parties are keeping a close watch on President Yoon Suk-yeol's impending second special pardons. The People Power Party criticized that it is senseless to argue for ex-Governor Kim's reinstatement.

[Soundbite] Jang Dong-hyeok(Floor Spokesperson,PPP) : "Public opinion manipulation is a serious crime that destroys democracy. He needs to ask for forgiveness from the people first."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party countered that the person who should admit his wrongdoing and ask for forgiveness should be ex-President Lee.

[Soundbite] Ann Gwi-ryeong(Deputy Spokesperson,DP) : "It's ridiculous that they try to patronize us by pardoning former Governor Kim without restoring his authority."

Those to be pardoned will be reviewed and voted on at the cabinet meeting presided by the President on December 27th. The Top Office expect that the Justice Ministry's list will be accepted as it is to unite the people. However, since the right to pardon is the president's exclusive authority, Yoon could change his mind at the last minute.