Ex-Justice Minister Jailed 25 Years as South Korea Deepens Reckoning Over Martial Law Crisis
Seoul – A South Korean court sentenced former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae to 25 years in prison on Monday for his role in former president Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed 2024 martial law declaration, extending a sweeping judicial crackdown on officials linked to one of the country’s most severe constitutional crises in decades.
The Seoul Central District Court found Park guilty of involvement in an insurrection stemming from the short-lived martial law order issued by Yoon in December 2024, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Park’s sentence exceeded the 20-year prison term sought by prosecutors, who argued that he had abused his authority to facilitate the implementation of martial law and undermined the rule of law.
According to prosecutors, Park convened a meeting of senior Justice Ministry officials during the early hours of the martial law declaration and reviewed prison capacity in anticipation of potential arrests of political opponents and government critics.
The court ruled that, as justice minister, Park had instructed officials to cooperate with the martial law command structure on the assumption that its decrees would take effect, Yonhap reported.
The verdict marks the latest conviction arising from Yoon’s controversial declaration of martial law, which lasted approximately six hours before lawmakers entered the National Assembly and voted to overturn the measure during an emergency session.
The move triggered a political and institutional crisis that shook South Korea’s democratic system, sparked nationwide protests and rattled financial markets while drawing concern from key allies, including the United States.
Yoon has since been convicted of leading an insurrection and is appealing a life sentence. Earlier this month, he was also sentenced to 30 years in prison in a separate case after being found guilty of sending drones into North Korea in an alleged attempt to manufacture a security crisis that could justify emergency rule.
Several senior 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 sentenced to nine years in prison. A former defense minister was jailed last week for three years after being convicted of disclosing classified military information connected to the martial law operation.
Separately, former first lady Kim Keon Hee is serving a four-year prison sentence for stock manipulation and bribery offenses unrelated to the martial law case.
The convictions represent one of the most extensive legal reckonings involving a former South Korean administration since the country’s transition to democratic rule, with prosecutors continuing to pursue accountability for officials involved in the failed attempt to impose emergency military authority.
