KCCI chief hopeful of pardons for convicted businesspeople

[THE INVESTOR] The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry has no plans to submit a petition on presidential pardons for businesspeople, KCCI chairman Park Yong-maan said.

Speaking at a press conference on July 20, the KCCI and Doosan Infracore chief said that the corporate community is hoping for many businesspeople to be included in the Aug. 15 Liberation Day presidential pardon.

However, hesaid that the KCCI does intend to submit a request regarding specific individuals, and that the business community does not have a consensus on how the KCCI should approach the issue.

“It may be inappropriate to say anything specific at this point, but position (of the KCCI) is that of requesting lenience (on part of President Park Geun-hye),” Park said. He also said that the KCCI has not discussed the issue in detail.

On July 11, the president said that special pardons will be granted to coincide with Liberation Day.

“(I) plan to issue pardons to (create) an opportunity for revival, and to channel the capabilities of the people,” Park said at a meeting with her chief aides.

The announcement came three days after the meeting on July 8 with the ruling Saenuri Party, at which floor leader Rep. Chung Jin-suk suggested that the president pardon “with scale” criminals from various walks of life.

The names that are being mentioned in connection with the pardons include CJ Group chairman Lee Jay-hyun, Hanwha Group chief Kim Seung-youn and LIG Nex1’s Koo Bon-sang.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)