A man who was sentenced to death on charges of espionage under the former Park Chung-hee administration has been acquitted in a retrial after 47 years.
The Seoul High Court on Thursday found Yoo Jeong-sik, who is now 83 years old, not guilty of violating the National Security Act.
The court said most of the testimonies by Yoo and other related parties used in the conviction are believed to have been obtained while they were illegally detained.
The court added that it is unable to convict the defendant even after reviewing evidence obtained through a legally extracted testimony.
After acquitting Yoo, the court expressed hope that the ruling can restore his honor, albeit belatedly, and offer comfort to his family.
In 1975, a group of Korean Japanese students studying at Korean universities were labeled as spies and sent to trial.
Yoo’s initial death penalty verdict was reduced to life imprisonment by appellate courts, a sentence that was affirmed by the Supreme Court. He has been serving time for some 20 years.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluded in 2010 that the espionage charge was a fabrication and the court, at Yoo’s request, decided to retry the case.
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