The court said that the remarks were about an issue of public interest and it is difficult to see that he had known the allegation was not true.

It also accepted the defendant's argument that Rep. Park made the statement to urge a swift investigation into the scandal rather than to defame Park Geun-hye, a strong presidential candidate at the time.

Following the court ruling, Park, 76, told reporters that the verdict was expected as he made the statement based on what he had heard from reporters and other fellow politicians.

In 2014, the lawmaker was also charged with slandering Park Geun-hye's younger brother Ji-man and her former secretary Chung Yoon-hoe. He said in a magazine interview that the two men and another Park aide Lee Jae-man are interfering with state affairs.

But the charges were later withdrawn after Park Ji-man and Chung submitted a letter to the court saying that they did not want to pursue the case.

"If the prosecution had investigated them back then instead of me, none of the influence-peddling scandal would have happened, nor would Park have ever needed to be in prison for that matter," the lawmaker told reporters leaving the courthouse.

The former president was removed from office in March last year over a massive corruption scandal involving her longtime and confidante Choi Soon-sil, Chung's ex-wife. (Yonhap)