The domestic political situation in the ROK is not easy at the moment. In August 2024, the President of the Republic made two rather controversial moves which, according to the author of the article, are not only a reflection of what is happening, but also a way of dealing with the current situation.

Can the pardons be considered a controversial decision?

This year’s National Liberation Day of Korea was a truly momentous occasion. On the eve of the “holiday of the return of light”, 13 August 2024, President Yoon Suk Yeol signed a decree for a special amnesty. A total of 55 politicians and high-ranking government officials will be pardoned. The names listed in the decree are: former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo, former Senior Secretary for Political Affairs of the Presidential Office Hyun Gi-hwan, former Senior Secretary for Policy Coordination Ahn Jong-beom, former Director of the National Intelligence Service Won Sei-hoon, former Senior Secretary for Political Affairs of the President under the Park Geun-hye administration Cho Yoon-sun, former Chief of the ROK Police Department Cho Hyun-oh, and former Mayor of Daejeon Kwon Sun-taek. The decree states that the amnesty is primarily for officials who have “dedicated their lives to the country and society”.

However, attentive readers, who are familiar with the author’s works, will immediately see the catch, because the pardon was not granted to the most deserving people, but rather the opposite, to “specific” people. So, let us first refresh our memories of the events of recent years and recall why certain people were put behind bars.

The presidential pardon of ex-governor Kim Kyoung-soo deserves special attention. You may know him as a member of Moon Jae-in’s inner circle, ex-governor of South Gyeongsang Province and the man Moon Jae-in wanted to see as his successor. However, none of the above trappings helped Kim escape punishment, and he was eventually sentenced to two years for........

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