Former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo closes his eyes while answering questions from reporters at the provincial government office in Changwon, July 21, 2021. Yonhap

By Nam Hyun-woo

President Yoon Suk-yeol has been mulling whether to include former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo in a list of people to be pardoned.

The name of the jailed politician has emerged as a candidate for Yoon's year-end clemency list following media reports about the pardoning of another jailed politician, former President Lee Myung-bak.

It has been a political custom that a sitting president seeks a balance in clemency, meaning if a conservative politician is to be pardoned, another politician from the liberal side should also be included on the list.

This time, the president's choice is not as simple as it may look, because the former Gyeongsang Province governor, if pardoned, can play a role to unite the opposition.

According to government officials, the Ministry of Justice will hold a committee meeting on Friday to screen those who will be subject to a special pardon that Yoon is expected to grant on Dec. 28.

It will be the second presidential pardon granted by Yoon, who took office in May.

In the first pardon on the occasion of the Aug. 15 National Liberation Day, Yoon pardoned 1,693 people, including some big names such as Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin.

At that time, politicians were not on the list for amnesty, as Yoon's job approval rating had plunged below 30 percent. Since pardoning politicians is seen as a highly political move, pundits said pardoning jailed politicians would not help Yoon gain a tight grip on state affairs.

This time, however, Yoon's approval rating has recovered from an all-time low, giving him the confidence to pardon some controversial figures, including former conservative President Lee Myung-bak and the former governor.

In this April 16, 2009, file photo, former President Moon Jae-in, right, and former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo take a walk near the residence of former President Roh Moo-hyun in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province. Korea Times photo by Kim Ju-sung

Kim, the former governor, is described as one of the closest aides to liberal ex-President Moon Jae-in when Kim and Moon were both secretaries for former liberal President Roh Moo-hyun. Kim is serving a two-year sentence for online opinion rigging which will end in May next year.

Since past presidents have been granting pardons to figures from both conservative and liberal blocs to seek a political balance, the ex-president and the former governor are both being mentioned as strong candidates to be pardoned.

As expectations grow over his release, Kim sent a letter to his wife and said he "does not want to leave the prison on parole."

In the letter posted on his Facebook, Kim said he has been pleading not guilty, but was included as a subject of parole, which is given to repentant prisoners. Since he has been pleading not guilty, he does not want to be pardoned either if it is about seeking a political balance, his wife added.

Following the letter, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) floor leader Park Hong-keun said last week that "If Yoon seeks to unite the public with the pardon, he should pardon and reinstate former Governor Kim."

Unless he is reinstated, Kim will not be eligible to run for election until May 2028, meaning he has to miss the 2024 general election, 2026 local elections and 2027 presidential election.

Given Kim's political presence as a disciple of liberal ex-presidents, pundits believe that his return to politics will be impactful and that he will emerge as a strong champion for the DPK, whose flagbearer, Chairman Lee Jae-myung, is being rattled by legal risks.

This, however, triggered a backlash from the ruling bloc. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) interim leader Chung Jin-suk wrote on Facebook that "he is cosplaying a prisoner of conscience" and PPP spokesperson Rep. Park Jeong-ha said, "Kim is pretending to be an imprisoned independence fighter."

Against this backdrop, the presidential office also indirectly expressed its displeasure with Kim's comments.

"We are speechless as he refuses a pardon which has yet to be determined," an official at the presidential office said.

Meanwhile, Lee, the former president, is anticipated to be pardoned on Dec. 28.

Lee, 81, was sentenced to 17 years in prison on charges of embezzlement and bribery and was suspended from serving the term in June with 15 years of the prison term still remaining, due to his faltering health. The suspension is scheduled to end on Dec. 28, and Lee did not request an extension of the suspension.