Seoul court sentences former South Korean justice minister to 25 years for martial law

Seoul Central District Court on Monday handed down a 25-year prison sentence to former justice minister Park Sung-jae for his involvement in former president Yoon Suk-yeol's emergency martial law declaration in December 2024. The court found that Park participated in the rebellion by checking prison capacity and cooperating with martial law authorities. Several of Yoon's close associates have now received lengthy prison sentences.

Seoul Central District Court on Monday handed down a 25-year prison sentence to former justice minister Park Sung-jae for his role in former president Yoon Suk-yeol's emergency martial law declaration in December 2024. News agency Yonhap reported that the first-instance court ruling was handed down for participation in the rebellion.

Prison capacity checked

The court revealed that in the first hours of martial law, Park held a meeting with justice ministry officials in which he checked prison capacity in preparation for possible arrests of government opponents. He also issued orders to cooperate with martial law command, treating the martial law decree as valid.

Prosecutors had initially sought a 20-year sentence for Park, arguing that he had turned the law into a tool for rebellion and violated the principles of the rule of law. However, in its final decision, the court imposed five additional years, citing as one consideration that Park showed no remorse.

Yoon's martial law lasted only hours

In December 2024, Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law in a late-night nationwide televised address, plunging South Korea into an unprecedented political crisis. The decree caused a sharp stock market decline, sparked massive protests, and caught important allies off guard, including the United States. The martial law lasted only about six hours before lawmakers gathered quickly in parliament and voted at an emergency session to overturn the decree.

Convicted of leading the rebellion himself, Yoon is in custody and has appealed the life sentence imposed on him. Earlier this month, he was additionally handed a 30-year sentence for sending drones to North Korea, which he allegedly intended to stage as a national crisis to justify declaring martial law.

Multiple aides convicted

Punishments for Yoon's close associates have accumulated rapidly. Former prime minister Han Duck-soo faces a 15-year prison sentence, former interior minister Lee Sang-min a nine-year sentence, and last week a former defence minister was sentenced to three years in prison for disclosing classified military information to promote the rebellion.

Yoon's wife Kim Keon-hee faces a four-year sentence for stock manipulation and bribery, charges not directly related to the martial law fiasco.