Overview
- Park Sung-jae was sentenced to 25 years and taken into custody by the Seoul Central District Court on Monday for his role in the short‑lived December 2024 martial law declaration.
- Prosecutors and the court found that Park convened a late‑night Justice Ministry meeting to check prison capacity, prepare prosecutors to work with a martial law command, and ready travel‑ban orders in case arrests were made.
- The sentence follows a string of convictions tied to the episode, including former President Yoon Suk Yeol's conviction for leading an insurrection and his current detention while he appeals a life term.
- Yoon also received a separate 30‑year term earlier in June for sending drones toward North Korea to help create a pretext for martial law, and several top aides have been given heavy sentences for their roles.
- The case has raised broad questions about democratic safeguards after the martial law bid triggered mass protests, market turmoil and international concern, and appeals and related legal reviews are expected to shape what comes next.