YONHAP NEWS

(LEAD) Roh's amnesty to benefit several death-row inmates

   (ATTN: UPDATES with inclusion of several death-row inmates in Roh's amnesty)
SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Yonhap) -- Several inmates on the death row will have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment under a special presidential amnesty expected this week, government officials said Sunday.

   The amnesty, scheduled to be issued by President Roh Moo-hyun on Monday, will also help about 60 convicted former government officials, politicians and businesspeople, said the officials at the presidential Cheong Wa Dae.

   "The inclusion of some death-row inmates is in conformity with the rights-based policy goal of the Roh government," one presidential official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

   The move comes as South Korea marks a 10-year moratorium on the execution of inmates waiting for execution for capital punishment. No execution has been carried out since Dec. 30, 1997 when 23 death-row inmates were hanged to death.

   According to government records, 64 inmates are currently waiting for execution for capital punishment.

   Among those who will benefit from the amnesty are Kim Woo-choong, the founder and former chairman of the now-defunct, Daewoo Group, a major conglomerate which collapsed in 1999 in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis, the officials said.

   Most of those beneficiaries are already out of jail afer serving out their sentences or on a stay of their sentences. They will have their civil rights reinstated under the amnesty.

   "It is not going to be a large-scale parole, as traditionally most of the large-scale paroles were at the beginning of new presidential terms," the same presidential official said.

   The official added that those convicted of election law violations will not be included in the list.

   Besides the Daewoo Group founder, a number of former Daewoo executives convicted of financial misconduct will be among the beneficiaries of the amnesty. In November last year, Kim was convicted of embezzlement, accounting fraud and other illegalities related to the collapse of Daewoo in 1999.

   Chung Mong-won, chairman of Halla Engineering and Construction, who was also convicted of embezzlement, will be pardoned, he said.

   However, Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn, who was given a suspended 18-month prison term in September for beating off-duty bar workers earlier this year, was not included, as his indictment took place recently.

   In addition, Park Jie-won, ex-chief of staff to former President Kim Dae-jung, will have his benefits as an ex-government official reinstated, and Han Hwa-gap, former chairman of the minor Democratic Party, will be pardoned. Both had been convicted on corruption charges, but Park was pardoned in February.

   In a controversial move, Roh will also pardon some of his former political allies and aides who were convicted, including Choi Do-sul, formerly the president's personal secretary, who was convicted of bribery in 2003.

   kdh@yna.co.kr
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