S. Korean prosecutors grant ex-president temporary release

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean prosecutors have granted ex-President Lee Myung-bak a three-month release from prison over health concerns after he served less than three years of a 17-year sentence for corruption. The 80-year-old Lee could be sent back to prison at the end of that period, barring further health setbacks. But it’s also possible he could be pardoned before then by President Yoon Suk Yeol, a fellow conservative who recently expressed a reluctance to keep Lee behind bars. Lee was sent to prison after the Supreme Court confirmed his sentence in October 2020, but he has regularly received outside hospital treatment for various health problems including diabetes.