South Korea Jails Ex-Justice Minister 25 Years Over Failed Martial Law Plot

A South Korean court on Monday sentenced former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae to 25 years in prison for his role in ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed martial law declaration in December 2024.

The Seoul Central District Court found Park guilty of involvement in an insurrection linked to the brief but controversial attempt to impose military rule, according to details of the verdict released after the hearing.

The ruling marks another major conviction in the fallout from the political crisis that engulfed South Korea after Yoon’s late-night martial law declaration, which lasted only about six hours before lawmakers voted to overturn it during an emergency parliamentary session.

Delivering judgment, presiding judge Lee Jin-gwan said Park’s actions contributed to a situation that threatened democratic governance and the constitutional rights of citizens.

“Due to the actions of the defendant, the country nearly faced a situation in which the people’s fundamental rights and the basic order of liberal democracy could have been violated,” the judge said.

The court heard that shortly after the martial law declaration, Park convened a meeting of Justice Ministry officials and reviewed prison capacity in anticipation of possible arrests of political opponents and anti-government figures.

Judge Lee said Park ignored concerns raised by officials regarding the legality of the actions being considered.

“As justice minister, Park ignored the various opinions that had been raised at the meeting regarding the illegality of the Dec. 3 insurrection,” the court ruled.

Prosecutors had sought a 20-year prison sentence, accusing the former minister of using the justice system to support an unconstitutional power grab.

They argued that Park had “reduced the law to a tool of insurrection” and undermined the rule of law through an abuse of official authority.

Following Monday’s judgment, Park, who had previously been standing trial without detention, was immediately taken into custody.

The conviction comes as South Korean authorities continue to prosecute senior officials connected to the failed martial law episode.

Former president Yoon Suk Yeol has already been convicted of leading an insurrection and is currently appealing a life sentence. Earlier this month, he was also sentenced to 30 years in prison in a separate case involving allegations that he authorised drone operations near North Korea to manufacture a security crisis and justify martial law.

Several former members of Yoon’s administration have also received prison terms.

Former prime minister Han Duck-soo is serving a 15-year sentence, while former interior minister Lee Sang-min was jailed for nine years. Former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun was sentenced last week to three years in prison for disclosing classified military information linked to the insurrection.

Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, is separately serving a four-year prison term for stock manipulation and bribery offences unrelated to the martial law case.

The latest ruling underscores South Korea’s ongoing effort to hold former officials accountable for one of the country’s most serious political crises in recent history.