He pardoned them anyway

by Robert Koehler on January 29, 2013

Despite pressure from incoming President Park Geun-hye, outgoing President Lee Myung-bak pardoned 55 people anyway this morning, including several close friends and allies.

My personal favorite recipient of this morning’s generosity is Choi See-Joong, the former chairman of the Korea Communications Commission who was convicted of bribery despite the crocodile tears. This is the same guy who awarded the Chosun Ilbo, Dong-A Ilbo, and JoongAng Ilbo cable TV stations and wanted to pass a cyber-defamation law following the “Minerva” case. In fact, where there’s been media policy-related controversy over the last five years, his name can often be found attached to it.

Tagged as: Lee Myung-bak

{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }

1 que337 January 29, 2013 at 2:18 pm: You know, the emptied cells will be filled with the new guys, very soon.
2 RElgin January 29, 2013 at 2:40 pm: Choi See-Joong was doing what Hanara/saenuri wanted done.

I am simply waiting for LMBs moment in the spotlight.
3 Chris Backe January 29, 2013 at 3:25 pm: How hard will it be to catch them again? I can’t believe PGH would be nearly as lenient…
4 KWillets January 29, 2013 at 3:27 pm: “Still, the opposition party and some critics have raised suspicions that Park’s criticism is nothing but a political show aimed at aimed at shielding her from the backlash over the unpopular pardons.”

That, and the fact that two consecutive NFP administrations will leave a serious deficit in the pardon-trade balance.
5 silver surfer January 29, 2013 at 8:04 pm: 10 to 1 PGH pardons her own cronies when she exits the presidency.
6 John from Daejeon January 29, 2013 at 9:56 pm: It’s about the same as the U.S. giving South Korea/Samsung a pass on continuing to buy oil from Iran. I can only imagine the candlelight processions if the the shoe was on the other foot and the U.S. was helping to prop up the North under the table.
7 que337 January 29, 2013 at 10:33 pm: No leaders could be more pardoning than Obama hyung:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9832508/11-million-illegal-immigrants-could-be-offered-amnesty-pathway-in-US.html
8 RElgin January 29, 2013 at 11:53 pm: . . . or the 1.2 billion USD that disappeared from frozen Iranian accounts, here in Korea?
There is a lot of concealment going on, so . . .
9 RElgin January 29, 2013 at 11:55 pm: The opposition is correct. The former KCC chairman did the work for Hanara/Saenuri so unless PGH is going to take some action, it is all posturing.
10 que337 January 30, 2013 at 12:31 am: Well, waiver of Iran sanction is not a new thing:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/14/us-usa-iran-sanctions-idUSBRE88D1KH20120914
11 DC Musicfreak January 30, 2013 at 7:24 am: You really see equivalence here?
12 Mike January 30, 2013 at 7:46 am: Like I commented in a previous post, the whole system is rotten, so there will be more sent to jail and then sprung eventually.
13 que337 January 30, 2013 at 7:55 am: Not totally, but the scale is just amazing, that is equivalent to the entire population of Seoul.
14 SalarymaninSeoul January 30, 2013 at 8:01 am: I do. Both pardoned criminals. In both cases, they should not have. In both cases the pardons will simply encourage more similar behavior.
15 que337 January 30, 2013 at 8:24 am: Actually, I had 2mb and his men in mind. I thought they need rooms for themselves, which necessitated kicking out the already jailed.