[THE INVESTOR] Rep. Kim Cheol-min and 14 other members of The Minjoo Party of Korea have drafted a bill to restrict the power of the president to grant special amnesties. The bill should prompt the National Assembly to address the issue, which comes up whenever there is a presidential pardon.

The bill aims, among other things, to exclude convicts from amnesty unless they have served a certain period of their prison terms. For instance, those facong the death penalty should have served at least 15 years; those with life imprisonment need to have spent at least 10 years behind bars and convicts with sentences of less than 30 years in jail should have served one-third of their terms.

Another highlight of the bill is to make the public disclosure of the minutes of the Amnesty Review Committee mandatory, which the bill drafters said would ensure fairness and objectivity in selecting beneficiaries of presidential leniency.

The bill drew public attention because it came after President Park Geun-hye said she would grant amnesty in celebration of the Aug. 15 Liberation Day, which would be the third of its kind since she took office in early 2013.

Unlike her predecessors -- Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Myung-bak granted amnesties eight times and seven times, respectively, during their five-year term -- Park has refrained from overusing the presidential right.

But Park, who freed SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won in last year’s amnesty, indicated that the upcoming clemency could include more tycoons and business executives. This certainly goes counter to her pledge to use the presidential power very selectively and in a fair and objective manner.

She also may be tempted to grant one more amnesty next year -- the last full calendar year in her presidency. All this calls upon the parliament to work out measures to keep the president from abusing the amnesty right.

(theinestor@heraldcorp.com)