Acting Justice Minister Lee Jin-su said at an Oct. 8 National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee audit that former Gyeonggi vice governor Lee Hwa-young is not eligible for parole review. The Kyunghyang Shinmun pointed to remaining variables: the share of sentence served, fines and forfeiture.
The question of parole for Lee Hwa-young, former vice governor for peace of Gyeonggi Province, came up at the Justice Ministry audit of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee on Oct. 8. Asked by People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun, Acting Justice Minister Lee Jin-su said legal requirements have not been met, so he is not subject to parole review.
광고 문의 · 300×250Lee Jin-su added that Lee Hwa-young has not applied for parole and that the ministry has received no inquiry or request from the presidential office or ruling-camp figures. The row began when his lawyer, Kim Kwang-min, said in an Oct. 7 media interview, in effect, that he was angry at President Lee Jae-myung for not granting parole. Lee Hwa-young issued a statement from prison on Oct. 8 correcting parts that differed from his intent.
In June last year the Supreme Court finalized a total sentence of seven years and eight months for bribery, violation of the foreign exchange law (seven years) and violation of the political funds law (eight months), plus a 250 million won fine and 325.95 million won in forfeiture. He has been held since September 2022, about five years.
Legal requirements and actual practice
Article 72 of the Criminal Act allows parole for a fixed-term inmate with good conduct and clear remorse after one-third of the sentence, provided fines are fully paid. But according to the 2026 correctional statistics yearbook cited by the Kyunghyang, only 1.4 percent (172) of the 12,215 adult inmates paroled last year had served under 60 percent of their sentence, and the ministry's preliminary review usually targets those who have served 60 percent or more.
Calculating the sentence is also an issue. Asked by lawmaker Joo Jin-woo when the requirement would be met, the acting minister said there are practical matters such as changing the type of sentence because there are two sentences, without giving a clear answer. The Kyunghyang analyzed that, since the heavier sentence is executed first under Article 462 of the Criminal Procedure Act, he appears not yet to have served one-third of the political funds law term.
Remaining variables: fines and forfeiture
About 485.9 million won in fines and forfeiture remains outstanding, so payment is another variable. Fines must be fully paid by the day before the preliminary meeting, and since a March guideline revision those who have not paid forfeiture can also become eligible for review. The acting minister said he had not confirmed whether Lee had paid.