Han Hwa-gap to Be Pardoned; Park Jie-won to Be Reinstated

Han Hwa-gap, former chairman of the Democratic Party, will be granted special amnesty, and Park Jie-won, former chief of staff of former president Kim Dae-jung will have his rights of citizenship reinstated.

The government is expected to vote for a bill to grant special amnesty and reinstatement at a Cabinet council next Monday.

It will grant special amnesty to less than 100 politicians and businessmen.

Those to be pardoned include Choi Do-sul, who was Roh Moo-hyun’s former presidential secretariat and was arrested after being found to have received 1.1 billion won from SK in the prosecutor’s special investigation into scandals related to close confidants of President Roh, and Moon Byung-uk, chairman of Sun&Moon Group and a supporter of president Roh Moo-hyun. With the two being pardoned, all of Roh’s right-hand men related to illegal presidential campaign funding have been freed.

Kim Woo-choong, founder of Daewoo Group, was also put on the list. However, Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-yeon, on probation due to an assault scandal, is not on the list.

Two former directors of the National Intelligence Service, Lim Dong-won and Shin Geon, are excluded from special amnesty since they have not been sentenced. The two arrested on charges of wiretapping conducted under the Kim Dae-jung government appealed to the Supreme Court on December 27.

Yesterday, Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Cheon Ho-seon said that, “At a Cabinet council next Monday, a bill on special amnesty and reinstatement will be discussed. Shortly after the bill is passed, the Ministry of Justice will announce the list.” Last weekend’s change of presidential secretary for petition was one reason for the delay.

Amnesty granted to Han Hwa-gap and the reinstatement of Park Jie-won reflect the government’s efforts to normalize its relations with former president Kim Dae-jung and cheer up the overall ruling camp, which suffered defeat in the presidential election. President Roh Moo-hyun has granted special amnesty to Kim Dae-jung’s three sons Hong-il, Hong-eop and Hong-geol, and Park Jie-won, and Kim’s confidants Kwon No-gap, former supreme council member of the Democratic Party, and the Democratic Party’s Seol Hun.

jin0619@donga.com