Proposed Cho Kuk pardon a two-edged sword for Lee

President Lee Jae Myung faces a political dilemma over whether to grant a Liberation Day pardon to Cho Kuk, the former justice minister and leader of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, as he returns from a weeklong summer break.

On Thursday afternoon, the Justice Ministry’s Pardon Review Committee convened to discuss recommendations for pardons. Former Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk and his wife, former Dongyang University professor Chung Kyung-shim, are widely believed to be included on the list.

Cho was convicted of fabricating official documents to help his children's academic careers, as well as illegally interfering in a government audit. Chung was convicted of several charges related to fraudulently helping her children and financial crimes.

The final call now lies with Lee, but reports that the committee had decided to include Cho has already sparked a significant backlash.

Lee is scheduled to review and approve the special pardon list at a Cabinet meeting on Aug. 12. And Lee will announce the beneficiaries of presidential pardon on Aug. 15, National Liberation Day.

South Korean presidents have issued pardons to commemorate important national holidays, such as the Liberation Day celebrating Korea’s 1945 independence from Japanese colonial rule, to reward the good behavior of offenders and foster national harmony.

Cho, who served as a senior aide to former President Moon Jae-in and as justice minister in 2019, began his two-year prison term in December after the Supreme Court upheld his conviction on charges of academic fraud involving his children and unlawful interference in a government inspection.

The mooted pardon for the minor progressive party leader is seen as a double-edged sword.

Should Lee decide to pardon Cho, it could boost support from left-leaning voters.

But clemency toward a man who illegally helped his children get university places could also undermine Lee's commitments to fairness in society, potentially sapping the momentum of his administration in its early stages.

Multiple progressive lawmakers and religious leaders, including the Ven. Jinwoo — president of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism — publicly called for the pardon of Cho, as they view him as a victim of prosecutorial manipulation.

Rep. Jeon Yong-gi of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea also backed Cho’s pardon, explaining that Cho and his family suffered greatly from a political “witch hunt” led by former President Yoon, who was prosecutor general at the time of the investigation.

With former President Moon also publicly calling for Cho’s pardon after a meeting with Woo Sang-ho, senior presidential secretary for political affairs, on Tuesday, a ruling party official reportedly said that unity among the Democratic Party of Korea and Rebuilding Korea Party could be achieved with the pardon.

And Lee could face significant repercussions if Cho is not pardoned.

The anonymous official was quoted by the Korean-language daily Chosun Ilbo as saying that refusing to grant the presidential pardon was likely provoke strong criticism from the ruling party’s support base and that this risk could not be ignored.

The main opposition People Power Party’s interim leader Song Eon-seog expressed his anger at the suggestion of pardoning Cho.

“We are outraged that Cho, who has been widely condemned by the public, was included in the Liberation Day special pardon (list),” Song told the reporters in a press briefing on Thursday.

Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party also put pressure on Lee after posting an online message, claiming Lee’s administration will be labeled as unjust government if Cho’s pardon is approved.

As Cho's convictions include using his influence to receive academic favors for his children, his rumored inclusion on the ministry list sparked outrage among some parents and students, especially Suneung test-takers. Suneung is South Korea’s nationwide college entrance exam.

An online post titled “They’re not going to pardon someone involved in academic fraud, right?” uploaded in a local student-based online community Pnmath Mathematic Lab, received multiple comments opposing Cho’s pardon.

A poll on the issue suggests the public sentiment does not lean clearly for or against pardoning Cho.

In a three-day poll conducted by local polling company Jowon C&I and media outlet Straight News from Aug. 2 involving 2,018 participants, 48 percent of the people reportedly supported the special pardon for Cho, while 47.6 percent opposed it.

The presidential office, meanwhile, remained tight-lipped about whether Cho would be granted a pardon.

“It is difficult to know until the president makes his final decision. The special pardon list will likely be available when the list is finalized after the Cabinet meeting,” presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said during a press briefing Thursday.