South Korean Broadcasting Service (KBS) on Jan. 30, referring to the "special amnesty," said this was not amnesty but "collective escape from prison".

KBS recalled that "special amnesty" was granted to Choe Si Jung, former chairman of the Broadcasting and News Agency Committee, and Pak Hui Thae, former speaker of the "National Assembly", who were tried for their involvement in scandals.

Chongwadae claimed that the action was taken on the basis of law and principle and it is aimed to achieve the great unity of the people but this rhetoric only increases sense of collapse, it deplored.

It is an improper attitude that Lee Myung Bak abused power for his confidants involved in scandals, it noted.

Lee asserted that there would be no "special amnesty" during the tenure of his office, but he enabled those criminals to escape from prison in a group though it was less than two months since the real penalties against them were confirmed or they spent less than the half of their prison terms, it noted, adding that this is sparking off protest from people of different social standings.