NEW YORK — Park was one of six individuals granted clemency by Governor Hochul. "They earned their second chance through rehabilitation and can now establish their futures once again," Governor Hochul said in a statement.

The pardon does not automatically allow Park to return to the U.S. but it allows his legal team to reopen his case and ask the Board of Immigration Appeals to consider vacating his removal order. Danicole Ramos, an attorney at the University of Hawaii's refugee and immigration law clinic representing Park, addressed the implications of the governor's decision.

"This pardon represents a tremendous step forward and gives Mr. Park and his family renewed hope that, after more than a year of separation, he may one day be able to return to the country he has called home since childhood and for which he put his life on the line," Ramos said.

After returning from service, Park struggled with undiagnosed PTSD, which led to drug addiction. In 2007, he was arrested in New York for buying drugs and convicted of possession of a controlled substance. While on probation, Park fled New York to avoid failing court-ordered drug testing and returned to his family in Hawaii.

In 2009, Park was convicted of second-degree bail jumping and sentenced to prison in New York. He served three years in prison, during which he became sober, and was released in 2011. An immigration judge had issued a removal order against Park in 2010 based on his criminal convictions.

Following his release, Park spent six months in ICE detention before being granted deferred action on his removal order based on his status as a Purple Heart veteran. His green card was revoked, and he was barred from traveling abroad, but he was allowed to remain in the U.S. and work legally. Park lived in Hawaii for a decade after his release from prison.

Park currently lives in Busan, South Korea, where he speaks limited Korean and relies on relatives for assistance with daily logistics. His case drew attention in Washington in December 2025. Representative Seth Magaziner questioned former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about Park's case during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing.

Park appeared via Zoom at the December 2025 House Homeland Security Committee hearing. "Will you commit to at least looking at Mr. Park's case to see if you can help him find a pathway back to this country that he sacrificed so much for?" Representative Magaziner asked Secretary Noem. "I will absolutely look at his case," Secretary Noem replied.

Why It Matters

The pardon shows the intersection of military service, criminal justice, and immigration enforcement. Park’s case demonstrates how past convictions can trigger removal orders even for veterans who received honors for combat injuries. The deferred action previously granted to Park based on his Purple Heart status provided temporary relief but did not resolve the underlying removal order.

The Board of Immigration Appeals now holds the authority to consider vacating the removal order following the state-level pardon. This step is necessary because the pardon itself does not restore immigration status or guarantee reentry. The outcome will determine whether Park can reunite with his family in the United States after more than a year of separation.

Timeline

In 1989, Park was deployed to Panama during Operation Just Cause. That same year, he was shot in the back and spine by Panamanian soldiers during a firefight in Panama. In 2007, Park was arrested in New York for buying drugs and convicted of possession of a controlled substance. In 2009, he was convicted of second-degree bail jumping and sentenced to prison in New York.

An immigration judge issued a removal order against Park in 2010 based on his criminal convictions. Park was released from prison in 2011. In June 2025, Park self-deported to South Korea after immigration authorities warned he would be detained and deported if he did not leave voluntarily. When he departed for South Korea, Park left behind his two adult children, a son aged 29 and a daughter aged 25.

What's New

Additional reporting confirms that New York Governor Kathy Hochul erased Sae Joon Park's convictions of bail jumping and drug possession on Friday, August 28, 2026. The relevant number is the two convictions that were erased by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, which are the 2007 drug possession conviction and the 2009 bail jumping conviction.

Park stated, "I am incredibly grateful to Governor Hochul for giving me this chance and for recognizing that I am more than the mistakes I made many years ago." He also said, "I still cannot believe this has happened," in a statement issued by his lawyer. Records indicate Park was granted deferred action on his removal order based on his status as a Purple Heart veteran.

Background details confirm Park moved to the U.S. from South Korea at age 7 to join his mother in Miami following his parents' divorce. He currently lives in Busan, South Korea.