A Seoul court has upheld the acquittal of South Korea’s former national security adviser over charges that he helped cover up North Korea’s fatal shooting of a government official in 2020.

The Seoul High Court dismissed the appeal by prosecutors Tuesday and affirmed the lower court’s verdicts for Suh Hoon and former Coast Guard Commissioner Kim Hong-hee, citing lack of evidence. 

Suh and Kim were among five indicted officials acquitted in relation to the alleged cover-up late last year. Prosecutors appealed only the two mens’ cases, seeking a four-year prison sentence for Suh and three years for Kim.

The Seoul