Vice Justice Minister Kim Hee-ok explains standards for a special amnesty to mark Korea’s Liberation Day, at the Government Complex Building in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province on Friday.

The three are the president’s long-time confidant Ahn Hee-jung, former ruling Uri Party lawmaker Shin Geh-ryeun and former presidential secretary Yeo Taek-su, who were jailed for raising illegal campaign funds in the 2002 presidential election.

President Roh has also used previous amnesties to pardon loyalists such as former lawmakers Chyung Dai-chul and Lee Sang-soo, and Changshin Textile chairman Kang Geum-won. With this year’s pardon, he has now freed all associates jailed in connection with the fund scandal except for former presidential secretary Choi Do-sul. Critics say the president is making arbitrary use of his privilege since a special amnesty, unlike a general one, does not require parliamentary approval.

For the sake of fairness, the former Grand National Party lawmakers Suh Chung-won and Kim Won-gil are also included in the amnesty. The two were convicted of raising illegal funds for their own side in the presidential election. However, Roh ignored pleas to pardon 55 convicted businesspeople the ruling party wanted released to revitalize the economy.

However, the government will lift restrictions on 4,390 construction workers and sanctions on 4,441 construction firms in a bid to stimulate the stagnant building industry. A total of 5,288 will benefit from this year’s amnesty, including 756 paroled.

(englishnews@chosun.com )