South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will grant a Liberation Day special pardon to former justice minister Cho Kuk, the Ministry of Justice said on Monday. Cho, who began a two-year prison term in December after the Supreme Court upheld convictions for forging academic documents to help his children enter elite schools and for obstructing a government inspection, is expected to be released on 15 Aug 2025. The pardon restores Cho’s civil rights, including eligibility to run for public office, potentially reviving the liberal politician’s career and influence over his minor Rebuilding Korea Party, which has supported Lee’s governing Democratic coalition. Cho is one of 2,188 people—ranging from politicians to small-business owners—who will receive clemency in the administration’s first amnesty. The list also includes former lawmaker Yoon Mee-hyang, convicted last year of misusing donations intended for survivors of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, and several former corporate executives. Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho said the measure is aimed at "national unity and economic revitalisation" ahead of the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese rule. Conservative opposition lawmakers criticised the decision, arguing it erodes public trust in the rule of law. A Realmeter survey released Monday showed Lee’s approval rating sliding to 56.5% from 63.3% a week earlier, with analysts attributing part of the decline to controversy over the pardons.