Yoon Suk Yeol, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for insurrection and is currently incarcerated, was recently acquitted of perjury charges, drawing attention to his ongoing legal battles.
According to legal sources on May 31, the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 32, led by Chief Judge Ryu Kyung-jin, acquitted Yoon of perjury on May 28. This marks the third first-instance ruling among the eight trials he is facing, and it is the first time he has been acquitted. Previously, the special prosecution team for insurrection had sought a two-year prison sentence for him.
Yoon was charged with perjury after testifying as a witness in the trial of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo regarding significant duties during the insurrection. He was accused of falsely claiming that he had planned a Cabinet meeting before Han's recommendation on the day of the emergency declaration.
During the trial, Yoon stated, "Cabinet members are not puppets just to maintain appearances; isn't that a question reflecting too much bias?" The special prosecution team deemed this statement as false testimony. However, the court ruled that Yoon's assertion about attempting to convene a legally constituted Cabinet meeting was merely his subjective evaluation and did not contradict the factual record, leading to his acquittal.
Currently, there are four cases related to insurrection, including the perjury charge. The main case, concerning the insurrection leadership, resulted in a life sentence in February, and an appeal is ongoing in the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 12-1, presided over by Chief Judge Lee Seung-cheol. However, Yoon's legal team has filed a request to disqualify the judges, causing a delay in the proceedings. Following the recent rejection of this request, they have filed a further appeal, making it unlikely that the trial will resume until the Supreme Court issues a final decision.
In the case of obstructing justice by mobilizing the Presidential Security Service to hinder the execution of an arrest warrant by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, the sentence was increased from the first instance. On April 29, the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 1, led by Chief Judge Yoon Sung-sik, sentenced Yoon to seven years in prison, up from the five-year sentence in the first instance. This case has been assigned to the Supreme Court's third division, and a definitive ruling is expected by the deadline of July 29, as mandated by the Insurrection Special Prosecution Law.
Yoon has also been indicted by the Kim Geon-hee special prosecution team. He faces charges of receiving free public opinion polling services from political broker Nam Tae-kyun, with a first-instance ruling scheduled for June 23, where the prosecution is seeking a four-year prison sentence.
Additionally, a ruling on the violation of the Public Official Election Act for disseminating false information during the 20th presidential election is set for July 10. Notably, if a fine exceeding 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 case involving alleged pressure on investigations and aiding a fugitive, prosecuted by the Marine Corps special prosecution team, has also entered the trial phase. During a hearing on May 27, key witness Lim Gi-hoon, former defense secretary at the presidential office, testified that the so-called VIP anger indeed existed, suggesting a potentially unfavorable outcome for Yoon in future proceedings.
Furthermore, the trial regarding allegations of inciting the deployment of drones to Pyongyang to justify the emergency declaration is set for a first-instance ruling on June 12, with the prosecution seeking a 30-year prison sentence.
Another case involves the alleged aiding of a fugitive by appointing former Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop as ambassador to Australia following the death of a Marine Corps member, which is currently being heard in Criminal Division 22, led by Chief Judge Jo Hyung-woo.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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