President Park Geun-hye has no plans to issue special pardons marking Christmas Day or New Year's Day, an official said Thursday.

Senior presidential press secretary Lee Jung-hyun told reporters he hasn't heard of any talk of preparations for special presidential pardons yet. That means Park has no plan to exercise her clemency power this time around, he said.

South Korean presidents have issued pardons to commemorate important holidays, such as Liberation Day -- which recognizes Korea's independence from Japan's colonial rule -- and traditional holidays, like Lunar New Year's Day.

Critics say, however, that the practice hurts the rule of law.

Park has also been critical of issuing special pardons recklessly, and promised during last year's election campaign that she would exercise the right in a strictly restrictive manner.

In August, she did not issue Liberation Day pardons. (Yonhap News)