Seoul court acquits Yoon of perjury in former prime minister's insurrection trial

A Seoul court acquitted former President Yoon Suk Yeol of perjury, rejecting prosecutors' argument that he lied at his former prime minister's insurrection trial about when he decided to convene a Cabinet meeting on the night of martial law.

Ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during his hearing session for his trial at the Seoul High Court in southern Seoul on March 5. [SEOUL CENTRAL DISTRICT COURT]

A Seoul court on Thursday acquitted former President Yoon Suk Yeol of perjury, rejecting prosecutors' argument that he had lied at his former prime minister's insurrection trial about when he decided to convene a Cabinet meeting on the night that he declared martial law.

The Seoul Central District Court's 32nd Criminal Division delivered the verdict on Thursday morning. Special prosecutors, who are investigating the insurrection, had sought a two-year prison term.

“It appears highly likely that the defendant had planned to convene Cabinet members from the start, regardless of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's suggestion,” the court said, finding that “it is difficult to view Yoon's courtroom statement as being contrary to his actual memory.”

Yoon was indicted in December 2025 over testimony that he gave the previous month at Han's trial, during which prosecutors said he falsely claimed that he had been planning the Cabinet meeting to declare martial law before Han suggested it on the day of the insurrection.

When asked at Han's trial whether the former prime minister had proposed “convening a Cabinet meeting to give it the appearance of legality,” Yoon dismissed the framing.

“Cabinet members aren't dolls who come to put on appearances. Isn't that a leading question that reflects too much of your own intent?” he said.

A person watches a news report of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's conviction on charges of leading an insurrection through his failed 2024 martial law bid at Seoul Station in Jung District, central Seoul, on Feb. 19. [YONHAP]

Prosecutors interpreted that response as an implicit claim that Yoon had intended to hold the meeting from the outset, and they indicted him for perjury.

Thursday's acquittal is the latest in a series of decisions in cases that Yoon faces regarding his December 2024 martial law declaration.

In February, the same court sentenced him to life in prison for masterminding the insurrection, a ruling he is appealing. In April, an appeals court increased an earlier five-year sentence to seven years on separate charges related to his alleged use of presidential security personnel to block anticorruption investigators from executing an arrest warrant in January 2025; that case is now before the Supreme Court.

A first-instance verdict in another case, accusing Yoon of ordering a drone flight over Pyongyang to manufacture grounds for martial law, is scheduled for June 21.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY KIM JI-HYE [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]