S.Korea's Roh pardons leaders

SEOUL, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun will pardon some 430 convicted business leaders and politicians, officials said Friday.

They include Park Yong-sung, a member of the International Olympic Committee, and a former Doosan Group chairman, the Justice Ministry said.

The special amnesty to mark the fourth anniversary of Roh's inauguration aims at "helping create a favorable atmosphere to focus on economic recovery and achieving national unity," the ministry said in a statement.

Roh has entered his final year in office with a vow to recover public trust by pressing ahead with much-touted reform efforts.

But he is suffering from a record-low popularity under 20 percent. His five-year single term ends in early next year.