The Seoul Central District Court on June 22 sentenced former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae to 25 years in prison for his role in an insurrection tied to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration. The term exceeded the 20 years sought by the special counsel team.
The court convicted Park on charges of playing a key role in an insurrection and abusing his power. It recognized that he called the meeting to review dispatching prosecutors to a martial law-supporting body, check the capacity of correctional facilities to hold politicians expected to be arrested, and order officials in charge of travel bans to report for work.
The court said, "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." Park was taken into custody immediately.
Park's lawyers said they would appeal, calling the ruling unsupported by facts or legal principles. The special counsel team indicated it was unlikely to appeal. Yoon was sentenced to life imprisonment in February and has appealed. Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun were also convicted on similar charges. Additional anti-graft charges against Park were dismissed.
