South Korea to pardon former chief Lee for corruption crimes

President Yoon Suk Yeol-led South Korean authorities has determined to grant a particular pardon to jailed ex-President Lee Myung-bak.

Seoul,UPDATED: Dec 27, 2022 11:47 IST

South Korea ex-President Lee Myung-bak. (Photo: AP)

By Associated Press: The South Korean authorities of President Yoon Suk Yeol mentioned Tuesday it’s going to grant a particular pardon to ex-President Lee Myung-bak, who was sentenced to a 17-year jail time period for a spread of corruption crimes.

The Justice Ministry mentioned in an announcement that Lee is amongst 1,373 convicts who might be pardoned Wednesday. It mentioned it has determined to incorporate some politicians, corresponding to Lee, as a part of efforts to advertise a nationwide unity.

Lee, 81, was launched from jail briefly in June over well being issues.

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The CEO-turned-conservative hero had been convicted of taking bribes from large companies together with Samsung, embezzling funds from an organization that he owned, and different corruption-related crimes earlier than and through his presidency from 2008 to 2013.

He was South Korea’s first president with a enterprise background and as soon as symbolized the nation’s financial rise. He started his enterprise profession with an entry-level job at Hyundai Group’s development arm within the mid-Sixties, earlier than he rose to CEO of 10 corporations underneath Hyundai Group and led the group’s fast rise at a time when South Korea’s economic system grew explosively from the rubble of the 1950-53 Korean War.

Lee’s corruption case erupted after his successor and fellow conservative Park Geun-hye was ousted and despatched to jail over a separate 2016-17 corruption scandal. The back-to-back scandals deeply harm conservatives in South Korea and deepened a nationwide divide.

Park, who was serving a prolonged jail time period, was pardoned in December 2021, when South Korea was ruled by Yoon’s liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-in.

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Dec 27, 2022