South Korea's ex‑justice minister Park Sung‑jae gets 25‑year jail term

On 22 June 2026 the Seoul Central District Court sentenced former South Korean Justice Minister Park Sung‑jae to 25 years in prison. The court found him guilty of aiding ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol’s attempted declaration of martial law in December 2024, describing the move as a "self‑coup". Park was found to have ordered ministry officials to assess detention capacity in prisons, prepared travel bans, and coordinated with military and immigration authorities to support the brief martial‑law regime, which lasted only about six hours before lawmakers overturned it.

The judgment highlighted that Park abandoned his constitutional duty and played a key role in the illegal power grab. He joins other former cabinet members—former Defence Minister Kim Yong‑Hyun and ex‑Prime Minister Han Duck‑soo—who have also received lengthy prison terms for their involvement in the episode. Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to life imprisonment for rebellion charges and is appealing the verdicts.