Korean Democratic Party Attempting to Use New Powers to Exonerate Corrupt Former Prime Minister

Here is a name I haven’t heard from in a while that the Korean left is trying to rehabilitate, Han Myeong-sook:

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) is methodically moving to reinvent the political life of former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook, 76, who was sentenced to jail for two years for receiving money from the former CEO of a construction company in 2007 in return for favors. If the DP really attempts to rehabilitate such a convict, that’s a grave challenge to respect for the rule of law. Han, who served as prime minister in the Roh Moo-hyun administration (2003-2008), was an iconic figure representing the liberal camp.    
   
She was indicted, convicted and served a jail term after the Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s ruling against her. She was indicted without detention in July 2010 on charges of taking 900 million won ($731,400) from Han Man-ho, the CEO, who died after serving a prison term in 2018.   

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link, but there was far more evidence of corruption by Han Myeong-sook than by former President Park Geun-hye and she is likely going to spend the rest of her life in jail unless another conservative gets elected President.

Democratic Party advocates are claiming that Han is the “victim of the prosecution’s coercive investigation and the court’s abuse of power.” With the new reform bill the Democratic Party passed earlier in the year, its new investigation agency could be used to pressure judges to relook Han’s case. One of the criticism about the so called reforms was that the new investigation agency could be used to protect ruling party officials and attack political rivals.