Former minister, presidential chief of staff included on pardon list
Former Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and ex-presidential Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon — both of whom served under former President Park Geun-hye before her impeachment — have been included on a special pardon list, the Ministry of Justice said on Tuesday.
The two were among the 450,000 people expected to be granted pardons and regain rights, including the right to run for public office, by President Yoon Suk Yeol on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.
Kim Kwan-jin, 74, who served as defense minister and national security adviser under Park, was convicted in 2019 of meddling in politics by ordering the military cyber command to post online comments to sway public opinion in favor of conservative politicians.
He is currently serving as vice chairman of the presidential defense innovation committee.
Kim Ki-choon, 84, who served as chief of staff to Park between August 2013 and February 2015, was found guilty in 2017 of playing his role in creating a blacklist of artists critical of the administration.
Other high-profile figures include former ranking officials at the military’s security command — Kim Dae-yeol and Ji Youngkwan. They were convicted of collecting personal information about the families of the victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry accident when protests were being held intensely over the government’s handling of the disaster.
Other individuals who have been pardoned include SK Group Executive Vice Chairman Chey Jae-won and LIG Group Chairman Koo Bon-sang. Chey was convicted of embezzling corporate funds, while Koo was found guilty of accounting fraud.