SEOUL: South Korea’s ex-president Park Geun-hye received a pardon on Friday, cutting short a jail term of more than 20 years for corruption with her successor saying he granted it in the interest of national unity.

Park became South Korea’s first woman president in 2013, but less than four years later she was impeached and ousted after a graft scandal sparked huge street protests.

The 69-year-old was serving a 20-year prison sentence for bribery and abuse of power, with another two years after that for election law violations.

“We must overcome the pain of the past and move forward into the new era,” said President Moon Jae-in, who was propelled into power in 2017 following public backlash against Park and her conservative party.

“Considering the many challenges we face, national unity and humble inclusiveness are more urgent than anything else.”

Moon said Park’s deteriorating health after serving almost five years in jail was also a factor in the decision to pardon her.

Park has been hospitalised several times this year. She is currently receiving treatment at a facility in the capital Seoul.

The amnesty will take effect on Dec 31, the justice ministry said.

“I express my deep gratitude to President Moon Jae-in and the government authorities who decided to grant amnesty despite many difficulties,” Park said through an aide, according to the Yonhap news agency.

Her corruption scandal exposed shady links between big businesses and politics in South Korea, with Park and her close friend Choi Soon-sil accused of taking bribes from conglomerates, including Samsung Electronics, in exchange for preferential treatment.

The amnesty decision marked a shift in Moon’s position from January, when at the end of her trial process, she became eligible for a pardon from the president.

His office had said at the time that it was a “historical lesson” that a former president had committed acts that led to a prison sentence. “This should never happen again.”

Dramatic fall

The scandal marked a dramatic fall for Park, who grew up in the political spotlight and enjoyed a pampered life as the eldest daughter of Park Chung-hee — a dictator who ruled South Korea for nearly two decades until his assassination in 1979.

It shattered the image she had tried to create, of an incorruptible conservative icon who was beholden to none. In addition to her prison sentence, Park was also hit with hefty fines.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2021