Yoon acquitted in case related to South Korean marine's drowning in rare legal reprieve
A South Korean court has acquitted former President Yoon Suk Yeol of charges related to the death of a marine during a 2023 search-and-rescue operation. The court found insufficient evidence that Yoon appointed a former defense minister to help him evade investigation.
Why it matters
This verdict is a significant legal development in the ongoing political fallout following the former president's martial law declaration and subsequent criminal investigations.
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was acquitted on Friday (September 11, 2026) in a case related to a marine's drowning death in a rare reprieve in one of the criminal cases brought against him following his ouster for imposing martial law.
The independent counsel's indictment had alleged Yoon deliberately appointed former Defence Minister Lee Jong-Sup as his ambassador to Australia to help him leave the country and evade a criminal investigation into the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun, who drowned during a search-and-rescue operation for flood victims in 2023.
But the Seoul Central District Court ruled it was unclear whether Yoon's appointment was intended to disrupt the investigation. Yoon said he appointed Mr. Lee as ambassador to promote military cooperation with Canberra, and his lawyers welcomed the court's verdict while calling on prosecutors not to appeal.
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