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The government announced Tuesday that on the occasion of Buddha¡¯s Birthday, they would grant presidential pardons to 352 people, which include former National Intelligence Service (NIS) head Lim Dong-won and five other people involved in illegal cash transfers to North Korea ahead of the historic inter-Korean summit.
They would also release former National Assembly vice-speaker Oh Se-eung and 1,136 inmates who are over 70 years old on parole.
They would also release 1,136 inmates on parole including former National Assembly vice-speaker Oh Se-eung and others who are over 70 years old.
The six people who were involved in the ¡°cash for summit¡± scandal were Lim Dong-won, former presidential economic advisor Lee Ki-ho, former Korea Development Bank chairman Lee Keun-young, Hyundai Asan president Kim Yoon-kyu, former Korea Development Bank vice chairman Park Sang-bae and former high-ranking NIS official Choi Kyu-baek.
Former Culture and Tourism Minister Park Ji-won was excluded from the special pardons because his case is under review in an appeals court.
Other people who will receive presidential pardons are 55 former South Korean spies who served in the North and were convicted of staging violent protests in 2002, demanding proper treatment and due respect from the government.
Three leaders of the Korean Teacher's Union, including former head Lee Boo-young, will also be released despite being convicted of organizing an illegal walkout in 2001. Korean Confederation of Trade Unions official Kang Seong-chol and four other people involved in labor strikes will also benefit from the scheduled amnesty. 283 former and incumbent public officials, who were punished prior to the start of the Roh administration, will also be granted pardons.
(Ho Kyung-eop, hok@chosun.com )
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