Park Ji-won "The quicker the pardon for former Minister Cho Kuk, the better… It should be considered for national unity"

Park Ji-won, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, reiterated the necessity of a pardon for former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, who is currently imprisoned for child admissions corruption and other charges.

Park stated, "The right to pardon is a prerogative of the president, but in the case of former Minister Cho, the sooner it happens, the better."

"The prosecutor's investigation is at a level of family massacre… A pardon is necessary for national unity"

During his appearance on YTN Radio's "News Fighting" on the 26th, Park said, "It is desirable to consider the pardon of former Minister Cho Kuk from the perspective of national unity." He argued, "We must also take into account the fact that the entire family was subjected to a collective massacre-like investigation by the prosecution."

He added, "Of course, the timing and judgment of the pardon are the exclusive rights of the president, so it is not something for the political sphere to debate, but it is preferable for it to be decided as soon as possible."

Internal views within the Democratic Party are divided… "Strong support base has opposing opinions"

Regarding the comments made the previous day by Kim Min-seok, a candidate for Prime Minister, who mentioned that "there is room for discussion on the pardon of former Minister Cho from the perspective of national unity" during a confirmation hearing, Park also expressed his stance. He explained, "I also believe a pardon is necessary, but there are opposing views among the strong support base within the Democratic Party."

Former Minister Cho Kuk was indicted on charges of child admission corruption and allegations of covering up misconduct during his tenure as Chief of the Civil Affairs Office at the Blue House, and a sentence of two years has been confirmed, leading to his current imprisonment. The execution of his sentence has been ongoing since December last year, and a pardon is a procedure in which the president exempts the execution of a confirmed sentence or abolishes the effectiveness of the guilty verdict.

"Former President Yoon and his wife should be arrested simultaneously… Kim Gun-hee's hospitalization is an excuse"

In the same interview, Park expressed a strong stance regarding the special investigation into former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Gun-hee. He claimed, "The couple should be simultaneously arrested as soon as possible," while dismissing Kim’s recent hospitalization as "just an excuse."

He further emphasized, "Despite the police requesting her presence three times, she has not responded," adding, "In this case, a warrant for her arrest should be issued to initiate compulsory investigation."

Park reiterated that the issue of pardoning former Minister Cho Kuk should be judged under the principle of 'national unity,' rather than political balance, separate from the investigation of former President Yoon.

Image source: Park Ji-won, member of the Democratic Party of Korea / News1, Cho Kuk, former representative of the Justice Party / News1