Seoul:A military court has acquitted Rep. Boo Seung-chan of the Democratic Party of charges related to leaking military secrets during his tenure as the defense ministry's spokesperson.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Central District Military Court delivered the acquittal after Boo was indicted in July 2023 for allegedly violating the Military Secret Protection Act. The accusations stemmed from his book, which reportedly exposed details of a confidential dialogue between former Defense Minister Seo Wook and then U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during their December 2021 security talks.
Boo, who served as the defense ministry's spokesperson under former President Moon Jae-in, faced allegations that the military secrets in question could threaten national security if leaked. However, the court found insufficient evidence to support this claim.
The military prosecution had previously sought a five-year prison sentence for Boo. In his defense, Boo argued the indictment was retaliatory, linked to his book's controversial claims about a fortune teller's involvement in the relocation of the presidential residence under former President Yoon Suk Yeol. His book suggested the fortune teller, known as Choengong, visited potential sites for the residence, including the former army chief of staff's official residence, in 2022.
Boo had also been questioned in connection with allegedly leaking official secrets related to the 2021 defense talks but was acquitted on those charges in May.