Former International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vice President Km Un-yong was paroled Thursday after serving one year of his two year prison term for corruption.
Kim was found guilty for embezzling money and accepting kickbacks while serving as the head of international sports organizations.
He had been originally sentenced last June to two and a half years in jail, but on appeal the sentence was later reduced to two years.
Kim left the detention centre in Seoul reportedly looking somewhat haggard with a white patch covering one eye.
A spokesman from the Justice Ministry said Monday, “the decision on parole was based on a thorough review of the case, taking into consideration factors such as age and health”.
But legal experts and civic groups are protesting Kim’s parole. They claim his release is a privilege for high-ranking officials, following a series of recent lenient or not guilty verdicts to politicians.
The People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy released a statement saying, “considering it is difficult for ordinary criminals to be pardoned or released on parole, the paroles for those involved in corruption scandals with power abuse…hamper the principle of equality as well as frustrate ordinary citizens who abide by the law”.
Kim’s release has come amid allegations that the presidential office of Chong Wa Dae promised to release him on the conditions that Kim steps down from his IOC post voluntarily and the IOC backs South Korea’s bid to host the 2014 Winter Games.
The group said, “following the allegation about the ‘resignation-for-parole’ deal it seems that parole has become a political bargaining chip. The government should clarify the reasons and background of his parole”.
