S. Korean prosecutors grant ex-president temporary release

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean prosecutors granted former President Lee Myung-bak a temporary release from prison over health concerns Tuesday after he served less than three years of a 17-year sentence handed down for corruption. The 80-year-old could return to prison after the three-month furlough, 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 reluctance to keep Lee behind bars. Lee was sent to prison after the Supreme Court confirmed his sentence in October 2020, but he regularly received outside hospital treatment for various health problems including diabetes.