South Korea ex-minister gets 25 years for role in martial law disaster

Email: online@newsofbahrain.com

SEOUL: A South Korean court sentenced former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae to 25 years in prison on Monday for his role in ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief and disastrous 2024 martial law declaration.

The Seoul Central District Court convicted Park of insurrection, concluding that he actively organised efforts to prepare detention facilities for political arrests. The presiding judge noted that Park knowingly ignored warnings regarding the illegality of the martial law decree.

The 2024 event lasted only six hours before an emergency parliamentary session successfully blocked it. Following the verdict, Park, who had been free during the trial, was taken into custody immediately.

This sentencing represents a significant step in the legal fallout from the national crisis, as authorities continue to hold officials accountable for their actions during the martial law disaster.