Seoul: A Seoul court on Friday acquitted former President Yoon Suk Yeol of charges related to helping a former defense minister evade a criminal investigation by appointing him as ambassador to Australia in 2023. The court's decision marks a significant development in a case that has garnered widespread attention and scrutiny.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Seoul Central District Court found Yoon not guilty of multiple charges brought forward by special counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon's team. These charges included aiding a criminal's flight and abuse of power. The prosecution had sought a five-year prison sentence for Yoon, alleging that he ordered the appointment of former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup as ambassador to Australia in November 2023 to assist in evading an investigation into the alleged cover-up of a Marine's death earlier that year.
The special counsel team is considering whether to appeal the court's ruling after reviewing the details. Meanwhile, Yoon's legal team has welcomed the acquittal, describing it as an "extremely obvious" outcome. Throughout the trial, the special counsel argued that Yoon deliberately sent Lee, a key suspect in the cover-up case, abroad to obstruct the investigation into his administration.
The case revolved around intense public scrutiny over allegations that Yoon pressured the alteration of a Marine inquiry's findings into the death of Corporal Chae Su-geun, who died in July 2023 during a rescue operation in Yecheon. The controversy escalated when Lee departed for Australia in March 2024 but returned shortly due to the growing scandal.
The court concluded that Yoon's directive to appoint Lee could not be conclusively interpreted as an attempt to interfere with the investigation. It noted that Yoon only became aware of a travel ban against Lee in March 2024, several months after appointing him as ambassador. The court suggested that Yoon's actions could be seen as an exercise of presidential authority over personnel decisions, rather than a hasty replacement of the previous ambassador.
In addition to Yoon, the court acquitted five other former officials implicated in the case, including former National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong and former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae. Yoon faces multiple legal challenges related to his unsuccessful attempt to impose martial law in 2024, his wife's alleged corruption, and the Marine's death case. The primary trial on charges of leading an insurrection via a martial law bid is ongoing at an appellate court after a lower court sentenced him to life imprisonment in February.