A former governor and a former presidential secretary are among those set to receive special presidential pardons next week in honor of Liberation Day. 

The justice ministry’s pardon review committee convened a plenary meeting on Thursday to deliberate on the candidates for the pardons and reinstatements to be recommended to the president.

The panel decided to include former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo and former senior presidential secretary for political affairs Cho Yoon-sun on the list.

The former governor, a close associate of former President Moon Jae-in, was previously pardoned in 2022 while serving a two-year sentence for rigging public opinion, though he was not reinstated at that time. Cho completed a 14-month prison term for her involvement in creating a blacklist of artists critical of the government of ousted former President Park Geun-hye. If pardoned, both will be fully reinstated.

Justice minister Park Sung-jae will soon report the list to President Yoon Suk Yeol. The list will be finalized after approval from the Cabinet in a meeting set for next Tuesday.