Former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae Sentenced to 25 Years for Role in 'Insurrection'

[Anchor] Former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae, who was indicted for his involvement in the December 3 emergency martial law declaration, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison and taken into court custody in his first trial. The court imposed a sentence heavier than the special prosecutor's recommendation, stating that "the actions of the former minister could have plunged the Republic of Korea into the quagmire of a dictatorship." Reporter Jang Hun-gyeong has the story. [Reporter] [Lee Jin-kwan/Presiding Judge, 33rd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Yesterday): The defendant, Park Sung-jae, is sentenced to 25 years in prison.] The Seoul Central District Court sentenced former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae, who was charged with participating in an insurrection and other crimes, to 25 years in prison and ordered him to be taken into court custody. Presiding Judge Lee Jin-kwan, who sentenced former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to 23 years in prison—eight years more than the special prosecutor's recommendation—last January, once again handed down a sentence five years longer than the 20 years requested by the special prosecutor. The court stated that after the declaration of emergency martial law, Park participated in the insurrection while fully aware of its illegal nature and intent to undermine the constitution, such as by ordering the dispatch of prosecutors to the joint investigation headquarters and directing the securing of detention space in correctional facilities during a Ministry of Justice meeting. The court also found him guilty of abuse of power, including ordering the standby of an exit ban team, thereby forcing public officials to perform duties they were not obligated to carry out. [Lee Jin-kwan/Presiding Judge, 33rd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Yesterday): He chose to participate as a member of the insurrection, thinking it might succeed. The Republic of Korea could have been trapped in the quagmire of a dictatorship for a long time.] During his final hearing, Park shed tears, claiming he could not stop former President Yoon Suk Yeol. However, the court rebuked him, stating that it was difficult to recognize the sincerity of his remorse and that there was no evidence he had made efforts to restore the damage suffered by the public. However, the court dismissed the charges that Park had given inappropriate instructions to the investigation team regarding First Lady Kim Keon-hee's receipt of a Dior bag at her request, ruling that it fell outside the scope of the special prosecutor's investigation. The court also dismissed the charges against former Minister of Government Legislation Lee Wan-kyu, who was indicted for perjury at the National Assembly for testifying that there were no discussions regarding martial law during a "safe house meeting" held immediately after the martial law was lifted, ruling that he was also not subject to investigation under the Special Prosecutor Act. (Video Editing: Kim Jin-won)
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