The President of South Korea, Mr Kim Dae-jung, himself a former political prisoner, yesterday granted amnesty to 5.5 million people ranging from political prisoners to drunk drivers whose licences had been revoked.
The Justice Minister, Mr Park Sang-cheon, told a news conference that the objective of the special amnesty was to create harmony among Koreans and help the nation overcome its current financial crisis.
President Kim has preached reconciliation since he was elected last December. His first step after the victory was to ask his predecessor to pardon former military presidents, Mr Chun Doo-hwan and Mr Roh Tae-woo, who were freed from jail in January.
Mr Kim spent years in jail, including a spell on death row, for opposing previous military rulers.
But his order did not cover all political prisoners. One still held is Woo Yong-gak, a North Korean commando who has spent the last 40 years in prison and has refused to recant his communist beliefs.
Of 2,304 people serving sentences for various offences who were freed under the amnesty, only 74 were political prisoners.
Human rights groups in South Korea estimate there are more than 400 prisoners of conscience in the country.