Former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae appeals the first-trial ruling of 25 years in prison

Former Justice Minister Park Sungjae, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison at first instance and taken into custody in court on charges related to the December 3 emergency martial law, has appealed the ruling. According to the legal community, Park's side filed a notice of appeal with the Seoul Central District Court the previous day. He is accused of participating in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's insurrection crimes, including holding a meeting of senior Ministry of Justice officials shortly after the declaration of emergency martial law and ordering a review of dispatching prosecutors to the Joint Investigation Headquarters of the Martial Law Command. The firstinstance court found all charges related to insurrection guilty and sentenced him to 25 years in prison, which is higher than the 20 years sought by the special counsel. However, it ruled that the charge of violating the Act on the Prohibition of Soliciting and Graft, related to a request concerning First Lady Kim Keon Hee, fell outside the scope of the special counsel's investigation and dismissed the indictment.