Seoul: A court in Seoul on Monday sentenced former South Korean justice minister Park Sung-jae to 25 years in prison for his involvement in former president Yoon Suk Yeol's controversial martial law declaration in December 2024.

According to reports from Yonhap News Agency, the Seoul Central District Court found Park guilty of participating in an insurrection linked to the short-lived attempt to impose martial law.

The ruling marks another major conviction stemming from the political crisis triggered by Yoon's late-night declaration of martial law in December 2024. The measure lasted only around six hours before lawmakers rushed to the National Assembly and voted to overturn it during an emergency session.

Prosecutors argued that Park played a key role in supporting the martial law effort. During the proceedings, they said he convened a meeting of justice ministry officials in the early hours of the declaration and reviewed prison capacity in anticipation of possible arrests of anti-government figures.

The court ruled that, as justice minister, Park had directed cooperation with martial law authorities on the assumption that the decree would remain in force. Prosecutors had sought a 20-year prison sentence, accusing him of abusing his authority and undermining the rule of law.

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The conviction adds to a growing list of senior officials punished over the failed martial law episode. Former president Yoon Suk Yeol has already been convicted of leading an insurrection and is currently detained while appealing a life sentence. Earlier this month, he was also handed a separate 30-year prison term after being found guilty of sending drones into North Korea to create a national security crisis that prosecutors said was intended to justify martial law.

Several members of Yoon's inner circle have also received lengthy prison terms. Former prime minister Han Duck-soo is serving a 15-year sentence, while former interior minister Lee Sang-min was sentenced to nine years in prison. Last week, a former defence minister received a three-year prison sentence for revealing classified military information connected to the insurrection case.

Meanwhile, Yoon's wife, Kim Keon Hee, is serving a four-year prison term in an unrelated case involving stock manipulation and bribery.

The failed martial law declaration shocked South Korea and triggered widespread protests, political turmoil and economic uncertainty. The unprecedented move also caught key international allies, including the United States, by surprise and sparked concerns about the stability of one of Asia's leading democracies.

(With AFP inputs)