No leniency - 관용은 없다.

  President Park GH is expected to convene a Cabinet meeting Thursday to finalize the scope of the special pardons to mark the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's colonial rule. A committee under the Justice Ministry is to draw up a preliminary list of people to be granted the presidential pardon during its meeting Monday. Park has said this year's Aug 15 Liberation day should serve as an occasion for the nation to be proud of what is has accomplished over the past decades and prepare for another leap forward. To highlight the meaning of the anniveasary, government officials suggest, the planned pardon is likely to be given to more than 2 million people.

 

  The massive number of beneficiaries does not fit well with Park's criticism of her predecessors for abusing presidential authority to grant pardons for cheap political gain. The first pardon under her presidency, conducted in Jan 2014, was given to just 5,925 people. It may be understandable that her administration is easing its principled stance on granting amnesties to fit the festive mood of the landmark anniversary. The public may largely agree to provide convicted businessmen with opportunities to mark up for their wrongdoings by devoting themselves against ot increasing the competitiveness of their businesses and thus contributing to reinvigorating the economy.

 

  But it would be wrong to grant amnesty to those who have had their driving license revoked or suspended for violating traffic laws, especially drunk drivers. Government officials say only those who have been caught drunk driving for the first time would be subjected to the special pardon. But drunk driving is an act that should never be treated with leniency under any circumstance. What shoud be noted is the statistics showing that road accident rates have increased substantially in the period following previous pardons for traffic law violators. 

 

1. leniency : 관용, 너그러움, 자비   cf. The judge treated the young woman with leniency.

2. special pardon : 특별사면

3, Japan's colonial rule : 일본의 식민지배

4. predecessors [^|predəsesə(r)] : 전임자들  cf. The new president reversed many of the policies of his predecessor.

5. principled stance : 원칙적인 입장.

6. amnesty : 사면.  grant an amnesty : 사면을 내리다.

7. reinvigorate[_|ri:ɪn^|vɪgəreɪt]: 활력을 불어넣다.   Reivigorating the Rural Economy : 지역경제 활성화