The South Korean government has decided to grant a pardon to former President Lee Myung-bak, who was sentenced to 17 years in prison a year ago for bribery and other crimes.
He is the fourth former president of South Korea to be pardoned.
At a Cabinet meeting on the 27th, the South Korean government decided to grant amnesty to more than 1,300 people, including former President Lee Myung-bak, who led the conservative government for five years until 2013, as of the 28th.
Former President Lee was sentenced to 17 years in prison for bribery and other crimes, including taking bribes from Samsung Electronics, the core of the Samsung Group, South Korea's largest conglomerate.
The 81-year-old former president Lee was temporarily released from prison for health reasons in June this year, and is currently in the hospital. You will be officially released in time.
The amnesty for former presidents of South Korea follows former presidents Jeon Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo in 1997 and former president Park Geun-hye in December last year. I'm the 4th person.
President Yoon Sung-ryeol emphasized at the cabinet meeting, "I hope this pardon will be an opportunity to unite the country."
The ruling party praised Lee's pardon decision as "the president's will to achieve national unity," and hopes to strengthen support among conservatives. intensifying the backlash.