President Lee Myung-bak may grant a special pardon to the older brother of late-former President Roh Moo-hyun convicted of accepting bribes, Lee’s aide said Saturday.

“President Lee is carefully reviewing a special pardon for Roh Geon-pyeong next month,” an official at the presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, said.

The decision would be made in time for the nation’s liberation day on Aug. 15, which marks the end of Japanese colonial rule which lasted from 1910 to 1945.

The nation’s president has the power to pardon convicts in Korea if the excuse is viewed as helpful to society and the nation as a whole.

Roh Geon-pyeong, 68, was sentenced to two years and six months in jail with a 300 million won ($250,000) fine for receiving kickbacks in return for influencing Nonghyup’s takeover of Sejong securities in 2006. He has already paid off the fine, according to news reports.

The late former President Roh Moo-hyun had won an election victory on Feb. 25, 2003 on promises of sweeping progressive reforms, clean politics and rooting out corruption. But one year and two months after his tenure on Feb. 25, 2008, a bribery scandal gripped Roh to hurt his reputation and ultimately bring down the so-called “pro-Roh faction.”

Critics of the Lee administration argue that the investigation into Roh Geon-pyeong was politically motivated to put pressure on the opposition party. Former President Roh ultimately took his life last year amid widening probes by prosecutors into the allegations that he and his aides accepted bribes from a businessman.

“President Lee will decide whether to pardon Roh Geon-pyeong during his summer vacation next week,” the official said.

Some lawmakers of the ruling Grand National Party, however, say it is still too early for a pardon.

By Yoo Soh-jung (sohjung@heraldm.com)