December 29, according to Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean government announced on the 29th that to celebrate the New Year, 3,024 people will be pardoned. The amnesty targets are mainly people’s livelihood criminals. It is worth noting that protesters who have been punished for opposing “THAAD” Also included. However, political prisoners are excluded, which means that former South Korean presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak are not among them.
It is understood that this is the fourth amnesty given by South Korean President Moon Jae-in after he took office.
The largest proportion of the amnesty targets are people’s livelihood criminals, such as small and medium-sized business owners, with as many as 2,920 people. The government says this move is to reduce the burden on civilians.
Park Geun-hye is 69 years old and is detained in the Seoul Detention Center. Since the Supreme Court has yet to make a final judgment, according to South Korean law, it is not yet the subject of amnesty.
It is worth noting that among the targets of the amnesty, demonstrators who have been punished for opposing “THAAD” are also included. The South Korean government stated that the move was to ease social conflicts.
The South Korean constitution stipulates that the president has the right to pardon. Since 1980, the successive presidents of South Korea have issued a total of 48 amnesties, and the average number of amnesties per government is 8 times.
Among those who were pardoned were former presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo.
The time of amnesty is generally selected on important national anniversaries or holidays. Amnesty personnel are generally ordinary criminals, criminals of the people’s livelihood, economic criminals, prisoners of impoverished households, and political prisoners.
However, South Korean public opinion also calls for “checking” the president’s amnesty power, and even believes that the president’s amnesty should be “suspended” as an entry point to eliminate privileges and curb corruption.
