S. Korea's ex-president Yoon acquitted of perjury

SEOUL - South Korea's former president Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday was acquitted of the perjury charges related to his testimony in the insurrection trial of former prime minister Han Duck-soo.

The Seoul Central District Court found Yoon not guilty of perjury, citing insufficient evidence.

The team of Cho Eun-suk, an independent counsel who led investigations into Yoon's insurrection and other charges, sought a two-year prison term for Yoon.

Yoon was accused of giving false testimony regarding a cabinet meeting on his martial law declaration, proposed by the former prime minister.

The special prosecution team claimed that there was initially no plan to hold the cabinet meeting, but Yoon's legal team maintained that Yoon intended to hold the meeting to fulfill legal requirements.

Yoon was sentenced to life in prison in February for the insurrection stemming from his martial law declaration.

The emergency martial law was declared by Yoon on the night of Dec 3, 2024, but it was revoked hours later by the National Assembly.

The constitutional court upheld a motion to impeach Yoon in April 2025, officially removing him from office.

He was indicted under detention in January 2025 as a suspected ringleader of the insurrection, becoming the first sitting president to be arrested and indicted.