New Delhi, Aug. 12 -- South Korea's president will pardon jailed former justice minister and liberal ally Cho Kuk this week, officials said Monday, cutting short his two-year sentence for falsifying academic records to help his children enter prestigious schools. The decision will also reinstate Cho's right to run in elections, likely reviving a political career once seen as having presidential aspirations. But it could also prove to be a divisive move for liberal President Lee Jae Myung, as the scandal surrounding Cho had struck a deep nerve in a country notorious for its educational zeal and fiercely competitive school environment.

Lee, who won an early election in June to replace ousted conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, said pardo...