Lee, who served as President from 2008 to 2013, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for corruption allegations, including a controversial pardon granted to the late Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee to enable him to lead Pyeongchang 2018’s successful Winter Olympics bid.

Current South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol also pardoned former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo with about five months left in his prison term.

Others in the list were former President Park Geun-hye’s chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and secretaries Cho Yoon-sun, Woo Byung-woo, Ahn Bong-geun, Lee Jae-man and Jeong Ho-seong and former Finance Minister Choi Kyoung-hwan.

"I hope these pardons will serve to unite our national strength," Yoon was quoted as saying by Yonhap.

Lee was arrested in 2018 and charged with bribery, embezzlement and tax evasion.

He was convicted later that year, with the Seoul Central District Court sentencing him to 15 years in prison.

An appeals court then extended the sentence to 17 years.

The pardon has cancelled his remaining prison term of about 15 years, including fines that total about ₩8.2 billion ($6.48 million/£5.3 million/€6 million).

Since taking office in May, Yoon pardoned Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, son of late Samsung chairman Kun-hee, who led the bid for Pyeongchang 2018.

According to Yonhap, a total of 1,373 people were pardoned in the latest presidential amnesties.