South Korea's ruling party will seek an amnesty for the former presidents, Chun Doo Hwan and Roh Tae-woo, who were jailed for mutiny, treason and corruption, a party spokesman said yesterday. The Supreme Court in April upheld a lower appeals court decision last December to commute Chun's death sentence to life in jail and Roh's 22 1/2-year prison term to 17 years for their roles in a 1979 coup and an army massacre in 1980.
Mr Lee Hoi-chang, candidate of the ruling New Korea Party for presidential elections in December, will formally ask President Kim Young-sam on Thursday to grant an early amnesty for Chun and Roh, he said. "The move is part of the party's efforts to promote grand unity," he said.
Party officials said Mr Lee was expected to ask Mr Kim to announce a clemency order for the former presidents within two weeks.
Political analysts said Mr Lee was trying to boost his chances at December presidential elections by appealing to conservatives as he fought a controversy involving his two sons, who were exempted from a mandatory 30-month military service on grounds that they were underweight.
Mr Lee's popularity has plunged since opposition parties alleged late in July that the sons deliberately lost weight to avoid the service. Mr Lee has denied the allegation.
Mr Lee, a former supreme court judge, had been widely tipped to win in the elections but recent popularity polls have shown Mr Lee is now lagging behind Mr Kim Dae-jung, candidate for the main opposition National Congress for New Politics.
One survey published by the leading Donga Ilbo newspaper showed Mr Kim won support from 24.8 per cent of 2,200 South Koreans polled in the past week, while Mr Lee secured 16.2 per cent. Nearly 41 per cent polled were undecided.
Mr Kim Dae-jung, who has been trying to erase an image as a radical, said last week he would also support an amnesty for Chun and Roh.
A group of South Korean lawyers yesterday issued a statement, "strongly opposing" amnesty for Chun and Roh.
The sentences against the expresidents relate to a coup that thrust the then army general Chun to power and an army massacre in the south-western city of Kwangju that crushed democratic opposition and left deep scars on the nation.
They were also convicted in last year's "trial of the century" of amassing hundreds of millions of dollars in slush funds from businessmen while in office.