Special counsel pushes for 25-year sentence for ex-Justice Minister over martial-law plot
A special counsel team asked the Seoul High Court to impose a 25-year jail term on former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae for his alleged role in a failed 2024 martial-law attempt.
In a Seoul High Court session, a special counsel panel led by Cho Eun-suk requested a 25-year prison sentence for former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae, matching the lower-court verdict handed down in June. The request surpasses the team’s prior suggestion of a 20-year term. Park faces multiple counts, notably for playing a central role in an attempted insurrection linked to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s aborted martial-law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024.
Investigators allege that Park convened a meeting of senior ministry officials to discuss follow-up measures, including deploying prosecutors to a martial-law body. The special counsel described his actions as aiding a self-coup and betraying the public and legal order. The court will now consider whether to uphold or adjust the proposed sentence.
Why it matters
The case highlights accountability for high-level officials accused of undermining democratic institutions.
In this story
