SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Former South Korean Justice Minister Park Sung-jae was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Monday after being found guilty by the Seoul Central District Court. The court concluded that Park played a significant role in facilitating the brief declaration of martial law by ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol in 2024, which aimed to consolidate power amidst a political standoff with liberal lawmakers.
The court indicated that Park was instrumental in Yoon's actions following the martial law declaration on December 3, 2024. His directives included ordering ministry officials to evaluate detention capacities at correctional facilities to prepare for potential arrests of political opponents. Furthermore, Park instructed officials to consider deploying prosecutors to Yoon's martial law command to assist in investigating political adversaries and examining unproven claims of election fraud allegedly orchestrated by liberal factions.
In addition, Park ordered immigration authorities to be ready to enforce travel bans, highlighting the gravity of the measures being put in place. The martial law, which was perceived as a desperate attempt by Yoon to retain power, was in effect for only about six hours. It was lifted when lawmakers broke through a military blockade Yoon had enforced around the National Assembly and voted against it, reinstating legislative authority over the executive branch.
Judge Lee Jin-gwan criticized Park for failing to uphold constitutional and legal responsibilities by partaking in Yoon’s authoritarian maneuverings. He characterized the martial law as a “self-coup,” describing it as an effort by an incumbent leader to monopolize power. The judge asserted that Park’s involvement could have been pivotal if Yoon had succeeded in suppressing dissent and incapacitating the legislative body’s ability to challenge the martial law declaration.
Despite the severity of the allegations, Park maintained his innocence, asserting that he was merely performing duties mandated during a national emergency. As of now, Park's legal team has not disclosed whether they intend to appeal the court's decision.
Yoon Suk Yeol faced considerable political turmoil following the imposition of martial law. He was impeached and suspended from office on December 14, 2024, and subsequently removed by the Constitutional Court in April 2025. His legal troubles worsened when he was arrested in July 2025, and he currently faces multiple ongoing trials related to various criminal charges.
The Seoul court previously sentenced Yoon to life imprisonment on rebellion charges. Additionally, Yoon received a 30-year sentence for allegedly ordering drone flights over Pyongyang in October 2024, actions aimed at escalating tensions with North Korea as a pretext for his domestic martial law declaration. He has since appealed both sentences.
Park is not the only member of Yoon’s Cabinet to face prison time for involvement in the martial law declaration. Former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun also received a 30-year prison sentence for his key role in employing military forces to enforce martial law and orchestrating the arrests of Yoon’s political adversaries. He faces another 30-year term for having planned the drone flights over Pyongyang.
Moreover, former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was initially handed a 23-year sentence for his efforts to provide procedural legitimacy to Yoon’s martial law decree via a formal Cabinet meeting. However, an appeals court later reduced his sentence to 15 years.
