MDP pushes pardons for labor activists

The Millennium Democratic Party announced on Monday plans to submit a request for a presidential pardon for political and labor activists in conjunction with the Liberation Day, which falls on Aug. 15.

"We are planning to focus on restoring the rights of prisoners jailed for participating in labor movements," said Lee Nak-yon, the MDP spokesman. The party is considering seeking a pardon for imprisoned labor activists and wiping the slate clean for workers convicted of crime related to their activism.

The party is also seeking amnesty for those who were barred from running in the June 13 local elections due to minor election law violations in the 1998 local elections. The request would be the first amnesty in conjunction with the Aug. 15 holiday in two years.

But government bodies involved in granting pardons, such as the Ministry of Justice, were not enthusiastic about the effort. Officials said the government recently announced what amounts to a pardon of some 4.8 million drivers who received marks for traffic violations two weeks ago. "Granting amnesty may raise questions about the fairness of the law," a ministry official said.

The opposition Grand National Party also criticized the move, calling it a pork barrel measure intended to win the labor vote in the Aug. 8 National Assembly by-election.

by Lee Jung-min