Yoon Suk Yeol, who is currently serving a life sentence for leading a rebellion following the declaration of martial law on December 3, was recently acquitted of perjury charges in a separate trial. He is facing a total of eight trials, with a verdict expected next month in a case involving the receipt of polling data without charge.
According to legal sources on May 31, the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 32, presided over by Judge Ryu Kyung-jin, acquitted Yoon of perjury on May 28. This marks the third first-instance verdict among the eight trials he is currently undergoing, and it is the first acquittal. Previously, the special prosecutor's team for the rebellion case had sought a two-year prison sentence for Yoon.
Yoon was charged with providing false testimony during a trial involving former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, where he appeared as a witness. He was accused of falsely claiming that he had planned a Cabinet meeting before Han's recommendation on the day martial law was declared.
At the time, Yoon stated, "Cabinet members are not puppets just to maintain appearances; isn’t this question too reflective of a subjective opinion?" The special prosecutor's team deemed this statement to be perjury. However, the court ruled that Yoon's testimony about attempting to convene a legally constituted Cabinet meeting was merely a subjective evaluation and did not contradict the facts.
Currently, there are four cases related to the rebellion, including the perjury charge. The main rebellion trial resulted in a life sentence in February, and an appeal is currently underway at the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 12-1, led by Judge Lee Seung-cheol.
However, this trial has been suspended due to a request from Yoon's legal team to disqualify the judges. Following the rejection of this request, Yoon's team has filed a further appeal. It appears that the trial will not resume until the Supreme Court issues a final decision.
In a separate case involving the obstruction of an arrest warrant execution, the sentence has been increased from five to seven years. On April 29, the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 1, presided over by Judge Yoon Seong-sik, imposed a heavier sentence than the initial five-year term. This case has been assigned to the Supreme Court's Division 3, and a definitive ruling is expected by July 29, which is the deadline for sentencing under the rebellion special prosecution law.
Yoon has also been indicted in a separate investigation led by the Kim Geon-hee special prosecutor's team for allegedly receiving polling data without charge from political broker Myung-tae Kyun. The first-instance verdict for this case is set for June 23, with the special prosecutor seeking a four-year prison sentence.
Additionally, a case involving violations of the Public Official Election Act for disseminating false information during the 20th presidential election is scheduled for a verdict on July 10. If a fine of over 1 million won is imposed, the People Power Party will be required to return approximately 40 billion won in election expenses, which could have significant political repercussions.
The trial concerning allegations of investigative pressure and aiding a fugitive, initiated by the Marine Corps special prosecutor's team, is also progressing. During a hearing on May 27, key witness Lim Gi-hoon, former presidential secretary for defense, testified that the so-called 'VIP anger' indeed existed, suggesting a potentially unfavorable outcome for Yoon in future proceedings.
The trial regarding allegations of instructing the deployment of drones to Pyongyang to justify the declaration of martial law is set for a first-instance verdict on June 12, with the special prosecutor seeking a severe sentence of 30 years.
Another case involves the alleged aiding of a fugitive by appointing former Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop as ambassador to Australia to evade investigation, which is currently being heard in the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 22, presided over by Judge Jo Hyung-woo.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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