May 21, 1999
Web posted at: 1:54 a.m. EDT (0554 GMT)

SEOUL (CNN) -- South Korea has set 1,240 prisoners free to mark the birthday of Buddha. Ninety-six of the prisoners had been imprisoned for more than 10 years, and one man had served over 19 years of a life sentence for murder.

South Korea's Justice Ministry released a statement saying the freed prisoners spent about two months in rehabilitation facilities prior to their release to help them adjust to life outside prison.

Prisoners are paroled in South Korea every month, but large- scale releases are commonly staged on holidays or to mark special events. Buddha's Birthday falls on Saturday, and is a major Korean holiday.

South Korean President Kim Dae-jung ordered the release of 1,500 prisoners in February on the first anniversary of his inauguration. One of those released at that time was a man believed to be the world's longest-serving political prisoner.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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