South Korean special prosecutor appeals Yoon Suk Yeol's acquittal

The special prosecution team led by Cho Eun-seok has appealed the acquittal of former President Yoon Suk Yeol regarding allegations of perjury during the martial law cabinet meeting. The team filed an appeal with the Seoul High Court after the second instance court upheld a previous not-guilty verdict.

Yoon was accused of providing false testimony during the trial of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Specifically, the prosecution alleged that Yoon lied about his intent to convene a full cabinet meeting to declare emergency martial law. While Yoon testified that he had planned to call necessary members from the start, the prosecution argued he initially only summoned six cabinet members and only called additional members to meet the quorum after a suggestion from Han.

However, both the first and second instance courts ruled in favor of Yoon. The appellate court stated that given Yoon’s position and career, it was unlikely he was unaware of the requirement for cabinet deliberation. The court further noted that unusual circumstances during the meeting were insufficient evidence to conclude his internal intent was to provide false testimony.