(Seoul) Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, sentenced to 20 years in prison for a resounding corruption scandal that precipitated her impeachment in 2017, has been pardoned, the justice minister announced on Friday.
Park Geun-hye is on a list of those granted special amnesty and has been pardoned in “a perspective of national unity,” Minister Park Beom-kye told reporters.
The 69-year-old was serving a 20-year prison sentence for corruption and abuse of power, followed by two more years for violating electoral law.
First woman elected president of South Korea, in 2013, Mr.me Park was convicted in 2018 of receiving or asking for tens of millions of dollars from South Korean conglomerates, including Samsung Electronics, of sharing classified documents, of putting artists on a “blacklist”. criticism of his policy, or for having dismissed officials who opposed his abuse of power.
This scandal had thrown a harsh light on the troubled connections between these family conglomerates and political power.
It was in the wake of his impeachment that the center-left lawyer Moon Jae-in was brought to power in 2017, surfing on the loss of credibility of the conservatives. The latter will complete his sole mandate in March.
According to the Yonhap News Agency, Mme Park, who was hospitalized several times this year, was part of the reason for the pardon’s decision.
When in January, the end of Mme Park opened up the possibility of asking for pardon, Mr. Moon’s services replied that it was “not appropriate” to discuss amnesty at this time.
Condemning a former president was “a lesson in history,” argued the presidency.
In March, South Korean prosecutors announced the seizure of the house of the former president, who had not paid the fine equivalent to CAN $ 23 million imposed for corruption.
South Korea is known for the severity of its justice against former heads of state. The four surviving former South Korean presidents were all sentenced after their terms ended.