Seoul, South Korea (CNN) A former South Korean governor and one-time presidential contender has been acquitted of sexual assault by coercion in one of the highest profile cases to emerge from the MeToo movement in South Korea.

Ahn Hee-jung, the former governor of South Chungcheong province, was accused of rape and assault by his secretary Kim Ji-eun, who made the allegations during an 18-minute interview with South Korean news channel JTBC in March.

Ahn was later charged with multiple counts of sexual harassment and five counts of sexual coercion by an employer. The court ruled Tuesday he was not guilty of all counts, according to the public prosecutor's office for the Seoul Western District, which said it would appeal the decision.

"We respect the decision of the court but it is difficult to understand its ruling of not guilty," prosecutors said in a statement.

"The victim had consistently testified the details of the crime, had expressed refusal to the accused's demands, and had spoken of her suffering to many around her," the statement added.

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