Overview
- A Seoul court acquitted Yoon Suk Yeol of a perjury charge on Thursday, May 28, 2026, finding it hard to say his testimony at former prime minister Han Duck‑soo’s trial contradicted his memory.
- The perjury case centered on whether Yoon falsely gave the impression that a Cabinet meeting held shortly before the Dec. 3, 2024 martial law attempt had been planned before Han suggested it.
- Special counsel Cho Eun‑suk had sought a two‑year prison term, arguing Yoon changed his account after Han’s proposed meeting, but the court said evidence did not meet the bar for proving perjury.
- Yoon remains jailed and faces multiple other prosecutions, including a February first‑instance life sentence for leading an insurrection and a total of eight ongoing trials.
- The ruling highlights the high evidentiary threshold for proving false testimony in contested memory cases and leaves the legal and political fallout to play out through appeals and the remaining trials.