South Korea: Court acquits ex-Prez Yoon of perjury over testimony at ex-PM’s trial

Seoul, May 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) A Seoul court on Thursday acquitted former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol of perjury over allegations that he gave false testimony during former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's insurrection trial.

The jailed former president was indicted on charges of giving a false impression during Han's trial last year that the Cabinet meeting he convened shortly before declaring martial law on December 3, 2024, was planned even before Han suggested it.

The Seoul Central District Court ruled that it was difficult to recognise Yoon's testimony at the trial as contrary to his own memory, adding there was a "high" possibility that he may have had plans to convene the Cabinet meeting regardless of Han's proposal.

Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team had requested the court sentence Yoon to two years in prison over the charge, reports Yonhap news agency.

During Han's trial in November, Yoon was asked as a witness whether the then prime minister had proposed convening a Cabinet meeting to make the martial law declaration appear procedurally lawful.

Yoon protested that the question was loaded and retorted, "Cabinet members are not dolls who come to create an outward appearance."

The special counsel team indicted the former president on charges of perjury in December, arguing that he initially had no plans to hold a Cabinet meeting but changed his mind after Han's proposal.

Yoon, who has been held in custody since July, is standing a total of eight trials in connection with his failed martial law bid, corruption allegations involving his wife and the 2023 death of a Marine.

In the first-instance trial of the main case, he was sentenced in February to life imprisonment for leading an insurrection through the martial law attempt.

Source: IANS