(ATTN: UPDATES with appeal plan in last 2 paras)
SEOUL, June 22 (Yonhap) — Former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae was sentenced to 25 years in prison Monday after a district court found him guilty of playing a key role in an insurrection through his involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law bid.
The Seoul Central District Court handed down the heavy punishment for Park, which surpassed the 20-year prison term sought by special counsel Cho Eun-suk’s team. The court immediately placed Park under custody, citing concerns that he may destroy evidence.
Former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae appears for his trial on charges of playing a key role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law bid and granting undue favors to Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul on June 22, 2026. (Yonhap)
Cho’s team earlier indicted Park on charges of playing a key role in an insurrection and abusing his power by calling a meeting of senior ministry officials following Yoon’s declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024.
The court convicted Park on both charges, recognizing the special counsel team’s argument that Park had called the meeting to review dispatching prosecutors to a martial law-supporting body, check the capacity of correctional facilities, allegedly to hold politicians and key figures expected to be arrested under the martial law, and order ministry officials in charge of imposing travel bans to report for work.
“The defendant ultimately turned his back on his duty of upholding the Constitution at the idea that the insurrection could succeed, choosing to instead take part in it,” the court said.
Park joins other members of Yoon’s Cabinet who have been convicted of playing a key role in an insurrection, including former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.
In February, Yoon was sentenced to life imprisonment for leading an insurrection through his short-lived imposition of martial law. He has appealed the ruling.
Meanwhile, the court dismissed additional charges against Park for violating the anti-graft law, ruling that it did not fall under the special counsel’s investigation mandate.
The special counsel team had indicted Park on charges of giving inappropriate orders to his subordinates in line with a request from Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, in May 2024, to check certain details of the prosecution’s investigation into her corruption allegations.
Park’s lawyers said they would immediately appeal the sentence as it was “a ruling not supported by the facts or legal principles.”
The special counsel team, however, said the ruling outlined the duties of a justice minister to stop an illegal declaration of martial law and defend the constitutional order, making it unlikely it would appeal.
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
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