The ruling Saenuri Party will push to have special pardons and paroles granted to petty offenders, as well as business leaders, in an effort to promote national unity and boost the slumping economy, party officials said Monday.
  
In South Korea, the government has often granted special pardons to imprisoned business executives and other offenders at the start of a new year to reward good behavior and foster national harmony.
   
The ruling party's move comes amid public criticism of an earlier proposal to give paroles only to business executives in prison.
   
"Through consultations with the opposition party, we must propose to the president not only paroles but also pardons under the goal of national unity and reconciliation for the revival of our economy," Rep. Suh Chung-won said during a party meeting.
   
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Suh said the party will likely make the proposal to President Park Geun-hye during their New Year's meeting at the presidential office scheduled for Friday.
   
In January, Park granted special pardons to 5,925 offenders, including petty criminals and the underprivileged, but politicians and business leaders were excluded from the list. (Yonhap)