Former South Korean Justice Minister Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison in Martial Law Case
Former South Korean Justice Minister Park Sung Jae was sentenced to 25 years in prison after the district court found him guilty of playing a key role in the coup due to his involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's attempt to impose martial law, reports UPI.
The Central District Court of Seoul imposed a harsh sentence on Park, as requested by the special prosecutor team led by Cho In Sok. The court immediately took Park into custody, citing concerns that he might destroy evidence.
Earlier, Cho's team charged Park with playing a key role in the coup and abuse of power by convening a meeting of senior ministry officials after Yoon declared martial law on December 3, 2024.
The court found Park guilty on both charges, agreeing with the special prosecutor's arguments that he convened the meeting to discuss sending prosecutors to the body supporting martial law, checking the capacity of penitentiary institutions for the possible detention of politicians and others planned to be arrested under martial law, and ordering ministry staff responsible for travel bans to report to work.
"The defendant ultimately abandoned his duty to protect the Constitution, believing in the success of the coup, and instead decided to participate in it," the court stated.
Park joined other members of Yoon Suk Yeol's government who have already been convicted for key roles in the coup, including former Prime Minister Han Duck Soo and former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun.
In February, Yoon Suk Yeol himself was sentenced to life imprisonment for leading the coup through the brief imposition of martial law. He has appealed the verdict.
At the same time, the court dismissed additional charges against Park regarding violations of anti-corruption laws, deciding they were outside the mandate of the special prosecutor's investigation.
The special prosecutor team also charged Park with giving improper instructions to subordinates at the request of the ex-president's wife, Kim Keon Hee, in May 2024 concerning the review of certain details of the prosecutor's investigation into corruption allegations against her.
Subscribe to our Telegram channel t.me/sudua and to Google News SUD.UA, as well as to our VIBER and WhatsApp, our pages on Facebook and Instagram to stay informed about the most important events.
