Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae was cleared of all charges related to an alleged judiciary power abuse scandal during the Park Geun-hye administration.

The decision in the first hearing came one-thousand-810 days after his indictment, or about four years and eleven months.

The Seoul Central District Court on Friday rendered its not-guilty verdict on Yang, who was indicted in February 2019 on 47 charges as a central figure in the judiciary power abuse scandal.

The court found there was no evidence to prove allegations that Yang interfered in politically sensitive trials in return for the establishment of a new court of appeals and other judiciary interests.

The court also ruled that statements by Yang that seemingly encouraged the dismissal of a damages suit filed by the Korean victims of colonial-era forced labor by the Japanese government were simply part of court discussions.

The bench also found Yang not guilty of several other charges, including accusations that he drew up a blacklist of judicial officers, which the court found to be in Yang's discretionary authority over personnel.

The case marked the first time in South Korea's constitutional history that the head of the judiciary was arrested.

Yang, who headed the top court from 2011 to 2017, expressed his respect to the court for the clear ruling.

Prosecutors said they would decide whether to appeal after analyzing the ruling. They had sought a seven-year prison sentence for the former chief justice.