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News summary on the way home from work, Subsletter Evening.
If we summarize the first special amnesty of the Yun Seok-yeol administration in one word, it can be said that 'Lee Myung-bak and Kim Kyung-soo did not work, but Lee Jae-yong'.
All politicians were excluded by setting 'people's livelihood' as the basis of the special amnesty.
Regarding the amnesty of former President Lee Myung-bak, the atmosphere has changed dramatically in the past few days, because President Yoon Seok-yeol said that just two months ago, "Isn't it wrong to have him spend twenty years in prison?"
Did ex-President Lee Myung-bak hit with a grenade with low approval ratings for President Yoon?
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Lee Jae-yong lottery, except MB and Kim Kyung-soo"
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong was reinstated with a special amnesty on the Liberation Day, while politicians such as former President Lee Myung-bak and former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo were all excluded from the list of special envoys.
It is said that this special amnesty was omitted because the focus was 'emphasis on people's livelihood and economic recovery'.
President Yoon Seok-yeol explained the keynote at the cabinet meeting presided over to vote on the special amnesty.
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Through this amnesty, we want to stabilize the livelihoods of ordinary people who are suffering from the prolonged corona virus, and to provide opportunities and hope so that small and medium-sized businesses and small business owners, the ordinary people and the weak in our society can recover.
The target and scope of the amnesty were carefully determined by collecting opinions from various fields in order to overcome the difficult economy.
I hope that this special amnesty will serve as an opportunity for all the people to come together and overcome the economic crisis.
President Yoon did not explain the reason for excluding politicians, but he briefly mentioned it when Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon announced the special envoy for Liberation Day.
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The reason that politicians and public officials are not included in the amnesty is in consideration of the fact that an urgent and important issue in our society at this point is the economy of the people's livelihood.
What they have in common is that both President Yoon and a minister are explaining the meaning of the special amnesty with 'people's livelihood' at the fore.
Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, who had been reinstated, was in court at the moment the lottery was announced, and he appeared at the Seoul Central District Court where the trial on charges of accounting fraud was held.
In addition to Vice Chairman Lee, Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin received a special pardon and lottery award, and Dongkuk Steel Chairman Jang Se-joo and former STX Group Chairman Kang Deok-soo also received amnesty.
Park Chan-goo, chairman of Kumho Petrochemical, and Lee Jung-geun, chairman of Booyoung Group, were also mentioned for pardon, but they are not on the list.
Has the approval rating changed the MB pardon decision?
Let's take a look at the question and answer of President Yoon Seok-yeol on his way to work on June 9, about two months ago.
The words seemed to herald the amnesty of former President Lee Myung-bak.
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◇ Reporter: When you were a candidate, you said that ex-President Lee Myung-bak's pardon was necessary, but is that idea still valid?
◆ President Yoon: Isn't it wrong to have him spend twenty years in prison?
Even in light of past precedents.
You mentioned 'the precedent', but compared to 'the precedent', where ex-presidents were released on pardon in a short period of time, even if they were imprisoned, the sentence of former President Lee Myung-bak was too long.
Former President Lee was sentenced to 17 years in prison on charges of embezzlement and bribery, but was temporarily released in June due to suspension of execution.
If he is released from prison, it will be 2036, when the former president will be 95 years old.
Amnesty was taken for granted for reasons such as old age, health problems, courtesy to the former president, and regime change.
It was just a few days ago.
However, after President Yoon's vacation, the atmosphere has changed, and the only change that can change judgment is the approval rating.
It seems that they judged that if a politician's amnesty was enforced, it could have a more adverse effect on the low 20% support for state administration.
Opinion polls on former President Lee Myung-bak's amnesty have always been negative, but a recent opinion poll showed that more than half were against it.
In a situation where President Yoon's approval rating has fallen to the 20% level within three months of taking office, he must have judged that a political amnesty would increase the burden on the administration of the state.
An official from the presidential office is explaining the background to the exclusion of politicians by saying to reporters, "The judgment is that the amnesty is not for the unity of the people and should not be a factor in the division of national opinion." This explanation also seems to be related to the approval rating.
"Don't beg if you buy it," but inside...
What is the reaction of former President Lee Myung-bak?
A few days ago, after the news that the amnesty had crossed the water, Lee Jae-oh, a senior adviser to the People's Power, who is a pro-Lee leader, reported the reaction of the former president to various media, and it seems that he is not sad on the surface.
This advisor appeared on YTN's 'News Q' and said, "The (former) president said, 'The important thing right now is that the country and the party should be stable. “I said, ‘If it helps President Yoon Seok-yeol to run the state affairs in a difficult time, I don’t have to buy it,’” he said.
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On June 28, just before the three-month suspension of the sentence, he said, "Never beg the government for a special envoy for me." He said, "If you are going to put me in a one-plus-one (1+1) way to entrust the special envoy of former Gyeongsangnam-do Governor Kim Kyung-soo, who is considered to be President Moon's political successor, ask me to take it out."
Even then, President Moon announced special envoys and lotteries for former President Park Geun-hye and former Prime Minister Han Myung-sook, and ex-President Lee and former Governor Kim were excluded from the list.
However, Advisor Jae-oh Lee also complained when telling reporters of the JoongAng Ilbo, "He appeared calm on the outside, but in fact, he was in a very depressed position."
"A amnesty is important for the president's decision that goes beyond the issue of approval ratings. Not pardoning MB is different from holding it hostage," he said.
In a phone call with Yonhap News on the 12th, Lee also expressed disappointment, saying, "Since this amnesty is the first pardon in office, I think it should be a large amnesty for all politicians and businessmen in order to unify the nation."
Former lawmaker Jeong Byung-guk also said, "People who oppose MB amnesty are not conservative supporters, so they won't come back just because they don't get MB amnesty." It's coming out of the crowd.
Ho-young Joo, a former MB member of the emergency response committee, said, "I said before, and I still have a wish that many politicians should be included in terms of national unity."
Daegu Mayor Hong Jun-pyo evaluated this special envoy by saying, "There is no inspiration." "The amnesty is a state event event based on the standard of politics, but this 8/15 special envoy made by the prosecutor's standard was nothing more than a plain, practical amnesty. It was a good chance for a reversal, but it's a pity," he gave a low score.
Woo Sang-ho "I'm sorry for the exclusion of politicians"
Democrats are also dissatisfied.
During a meeting with reporters, Woo Sang-ho, the chairman of the non-commissioning committee, said, "It is customary to include politicians when granting a pardon for national unity, but it is regrettable that it is justifiable to exclude only politicians this time."
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◇ Reporter: What do you think about the amnesty announcement centered on businessmen?
◆ Chairman Woo Sang-ho: Well.
It is customary to include politicians when pardoning for national unity, but it is regrettable that it is justifiable to exclude only politicians this time.
◇ Reporter: What are you sorry about?
◆Chairman Sangho Woo: Let's just do that.
knowing it all
Although Chairman Woo Sang-ho did not specifically mention it, he expressed regret that the amnesty of former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo was not granted.
Democratic Party lawmaker Won-wook Lee also criticized, saying, "For the sake of national unity, the pardons of former President Lee and former Governor Kim must be granted. President Yoon Seok-yeol's first amnesty ultimately failed."
Rep. Ko Min-jung also said, "In order to unify the nation, the pardon of former Governor Kim Seok-yeol, who demanded the decision of President Yoon Seok-yeol, was excluded, and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong was included." Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong poured out his critical stance on the lottery.
However, civic groups are strongly opposed to the inclusion of businessmen such as Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong in the special amnesty.
It's called "pro-chaebol policy."
The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, the Financial Justice Coalition, and the Lawyers for a Democratic Society issued statements criticizing "the preferential treatment of the chaebol heads was once again exercised in the name of revitalizing the economy."
Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong said, "I will work hard for the national economy," but there are also observations that Vice Chairman Lee, who has been released from shackles, may rise to the chairmanship soon.
Will Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong be able to solve the task of proving the 'Effect of Special Envoy Lee Jae-yong'?
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This is a picture of a shoe store in Sillim-dong, Seoul.
The employee is drying the flooded shoes, how much does it hurt the heart of the employee or the boss looking at the shoes?
(Photo = Yonhap News)