Published on 6/22/2026
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Last update: 20:49 (Mecca time)
On Monday, a South Korean court issued a 25-year prison sentence against former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae, after convicting him of helping ousted President Yoon Suk-yul implement his short-term declaration of martial law in 2024.
The Seoul Central District Court said in the preliminary ruling convicting Park of “rebellion” that the former minister played a key role in Yoon’s attempt to seize power following the declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024, including ordering ministry officials to assess prison detention capabilities in preparation for the arrest of politicians.
According to prosecutors, Park held a meeting of Justice Ministry officials in the first hours of declaring martial law, and assessed the prisons’ capacity to accommodate any arrests of anti-government figures.
The ruling stated – according to the Korean Yonhap Agency – that the Minister of Justice at the time “ordered coordination with the martial law leadership on the assumption that the decree would be effective.”
The court said Park also issued orders to immigration authorities to prepare to impose a travel ban.
The Public Prosecution had requested that he be imprisoned for 20 years, stressing that he “turned the law into a tool of rebellion by abusing his authority and undermining the rule of law.”
In December 2024, former President Yoon Suk-yeol suddenly announced the suspension of civil rule and imposed martial law, but this move only lasted hours, as a sufficient number of representatives managed to infiltrate the parliament hall, which was surrounded by soldiers, and pass a resolution against the attempt to seize power, forcing him to retreat.
Yoon was convicted and is being held pending a decision on his appeal against his life imprisonment sentence.
On June 12, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison on charges of sending drones to North Korea with the aim of provoking it and creating a pretext to declare martial law.
