The Special Prosecutor's Office has requested a 25-year prison sentence for former Minister of Justice Park Seong-jae, who is accused of participating in the December 3 martial law declaration. During the appeal hearing on September 29 at the Seoul High Court, the Special Prosecutor, Cho Eun-seok, urged the court to dismiss Park's appeal and impose the same sentence as the first trial.
In the initial trial, prosecutors sought a 20-year sentence, but the court imposed a heavier sentence of 25 years and ordered Park to be taken into custody.
The Special Prosecutor emphasized that the Minister of Justice, responsible for law enforcement, must be held accountable for using state power in an insurrection. They argued that with significant authority to restrict citizens' fundamental rights, the same legal standards should apply to the unlawful actions of those in power.
The prosecutor stated, "The severity of the sentence should be determined not by the rank of the position but by the characteristics of the position and the nature of the insurrection-related duties. Former Minister Park actively participated in the insurrection, effectively turning the state's punitive power into a tool for insurrection."
They also claimed that Park ignored warnings from Justice Ministry officials about the unconstitutionality and illegality of the martial law declaration. Even after the National Assembly passed a resolution to lift the martial law, Park continued his involvement, creating a defense strategy after the martial law failed.
The Special Prosecutor requested, "That night, former Minister Park sided with the president and the insurrection instead of the people and the rule of law. We ask for a stern legal judgment to ensure that no high-ranking official like him emerges again in this land."
Park has denied the charges during the appeal, asserting that there is no evidence of conspiracy or abuse of power. His defense argued, "We acted in accordance with the Constitution and laws, and there was no intent to disrupt the constitution."
Park was indicted for allegedly convening a meeting of Justice Ministry officials after the martial law was declared on December 3, 2024, directing the dispatch of prosecutors to the martial law command, assessing the capacity of correctional facilities, and instructing staff responsible for travel bans to report for duty.
He is also accused of abusing his authority during the process of assessing correctional facility capacity and instructing the drafting of a so-called 'abuse of power document' to justify the martial law immediately after it was lifted. The first trial found him guilty on these charges.
The charge related to soliciting an investigation into Kim Geon-hee has been excluded from the appeal's consideration. The first trial court dismissed the prosecution's case on the grounds that it did not fall under the Special Prosecutor's investigation scope, and the Special Prosecutor withdrew the appeal on that matter, confirming the dismissal ruling.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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