Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol acquitted of perjury, but will remain in jail: Here's why

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was cleared of perjury charges in the first trial linked to former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s aiding-the-insurrection case, according to Yonhap News Agency. The Seoul Central District Court found Yoon not guilty of perjury, citing insufficient evidence. The perjury case was a criminal prosecution accusing Yoon of lying under oath about whether he deliberately tried to bypass constitutional procedures when declaring martial law in December 2024. Yoon Suk Yeol faces a total of eight trials alongside six additional pending criminal cases. However, he will remain in jail despite his acquittal on perjury charges. The perjury acquittal does not override or cancel out his previous criminal convictions.

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Cases against Yoon Suk-yeol

He is facing multiple legal battles in South Korea, with the insurrection case resulting in a life imprisonment verdict, currently under appeal, over allegations that he sent troops to paralyze the National Assembly. In a separate obstruction case, also under appeal, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for allegedly mobilizing security forces to block his own arrest. He is additionally undergoing trial in a treason case tied to claims of sending an unmanned drone to provoke North Korea. Other pending cases include accusations of abusing power to cover up systemic military negligence in a marine-related scandal, along with allegations of illegal campaign assistance and election meddling in a political funds case.

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Yoon Suk-yeol conviction

He has been convicted in two separate cases related to his attempt to impose military rule in December 2024. In the insurrection case, a Seoul court sentenced him to life imprisonment for allegedly deploying troops and police forces to block the National Assembly and undermine South Korea’s constitutional order. In a separate obstruction and abuse of power case, he received an additional seven-year prison sentence for allegedly bypassing legal Cabinet procedures, fabricating official documents, and using security personnel to resist investigators during his arrest. Despite reports that he was acquitted in a perjury-related case connected to former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Yoon remains jailed at the Seoul Detention Centre as both convictions are under appeal before higher courts. He also continues to face ongoing trials related to treason, election meddling, political funds violations, and a military investigation cover-up.