Seoul, May 28: A Seoul court acquitted former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday of perjury charges. He was accused of providing false testimony during the trial of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo related to a rebellion case.
Currently imprisoned, Yoon faced allegations that he created an environment during Han’s trial that led to a cabinet meeting being called just before martial law was declared on December 3, 2024. The prosecution claimed this meeting was pre-planned, while Yoon argued it was convened at Han’s suggestion.
The Seoul Central District Court stated it was hard to believe that Yoon’s testimony contradicted his own memory. The court also noted a “significant possibility” that Yoon had already planned the cabinet meeting before Han’s suggestion.
During Han’s trial in November, Yoon was questioned as a witness about whether the then-Prime Minister had suggested the cabinet meeting to legitimize the martial law announcement. Yoon objected, claiming the question was biased, and responded, “Cabinet members are not puppets who just sit there for show.”
In December, a special investigation team charged Yoon with perjury, asserting that he initially had no plans to call the cabinet meeting but changed his decision after Han’s suggestion.
Yoon has been in custody since July and faces trials in a total of eight cases, including his failed martial law attempt, corruption allegations involving his wife, and a Marine’s death in 2023. In February, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for leading a rebellion through an attempt to impose martial law.
–
Leave a Comment