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To mark the 100th day of his administration, President Lee Myung-bak is said to be considering a special amnesty for people who received penalty points for traffic violations or had administrative measures taken on their driver¡¯s licenses, while offering parole or early release to those who committed crimes to survive difficult economic conditions. Cheong Wa Dae said it originally intended to do this when the president was inaugurated but ended up delaying it due to the confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties over government reform. Cheong Wa Dae said it is uncertain when the pardon would take place.
There is no need to question the good intentions of the government as it seeks to pardon unfortunate citizens such as traders who racked up traffic violations while selling their wares off the backs of trucks, or to those whose lives became more difficult after getting caught stealing food because they had nothing to eat. Previous presidents have also granted special pardons when they were inaugurated.
But President Lee had pledged during his election campaign that he would not abuse his right to grant special pardons. Whenever past presidents granted special amnesties, the Grand National Party criticized the move as aimed at gaining political support and threatening law and order. It is inconsistent for the government to say that it is planning to grant an amnesty now because it wasn¡¯t able to do so right after the president¡¯s inauguration.
Moreover, less than 100 days since the launch of the new government, basic order in Korean society, from public security to traffic, is about as messed up as it can get, resembling conditions usually seen during the final months of an administration. Demonstrators holding candlelight vigils block traffic in the middle of Seoul every day, while oil prices are shooting through the roof. Even Lee himself said at a breakfast meeting last Friday that Koreans are feeling the burden of these problems that are piling up. The ruling party is calling for government reform. It is obvious how the public will perceive a special amnesty granted in this situation simply to mark the 100th day of his inauguration.
Regardless of the true purpose of special pardons, the Lee administration will surely be criticized for either using it to escape responsibility for failed policies or trying to divert attention from the government¡¯s problems.
Stopgap measures will not ease difficulties and will only make the situation worse. This is no time for the president and the government to consider special pardons to celebrate their 100th day in office; instead, they should address the public¡¯s woes by shifting direction through reforms in system and personnel.
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