In a significant legal verdict in South Korea, former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. This decision comes after the Seoul Central District Court found Park guilty of aiding ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol in his brief martial law declaration in December 2024.
The court highlighted Park’s instrumental role in Yoon’s attempted coup, which included directives to assess detention facilities for potential arrests of political figures. Additionally, Park advised on deploying prosecutors to Yoon’s command to potentially investigate political adversaries, and prepared immigration to enforce travel bans related to Yoon’s unfounded claims of election fraud.
Yoon’s martial law, sparked by a standoff with a liberal-controlled legislature, was swiftly overturned within six hours by lawmakers who broke through military blockades and voted to rescind the measure. Judge Lee Jin-gwan condemned Park’s actions as a betrayal of constitutional duties, describing the martial law as a “self-coup” aimed at consolidating power.
Despite Park’s denial of the charges, claiming actions were part of emergency duties, the legal team has not announced plans for an appeal. Meanwhile, Yoon, impeached and removed from office in April 2025, was arrested in July of the same year, facing multiple ongoing trials. He has been sentenced to life for rebellion and a separate 30-year term for ordering drone flights over Pyongyang in 2024, both of which he is appealing.
Park’s sentencing adds to the series of convictions among Yoon’s former Cabinet members. Ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun received a 30-year sentence for his role in enforcing martial law and another for planning drone operations. Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo initially faced a 23-year sentence, later reduced to 15 years on appeal, for attempting to legitimize Yoon’s actions through a formal Cabinet meeting.
