The Constitutional Court of Korea has officially cleared Justice Minister Park Sung-jae of all martial law allegations. In a unanimous 8-0 ruling delivered Thursday, the court rejected the impeachment motion filed by the National Assembly. The justices concluded there was no evidence that Park assisted former President Yoon Suk Yeol in attempting to impose martial law.
The court announced its decision 119 days after the Assembly submitted the case. Although acting President Han Duck-soo recently appointed Ma Eun-hyuk as the court’s ninth justice, Ma did not participate in the ruling. The hearings had ended before his appointment.
Lawmakers accused Park of failing to oppose martial law during an emergency Cabinet meeting on December 3. They also alleged that Park met with former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min the next day to discuss setting up detention centers for lawmakers. However, the court determined that a meeting at the presidential safe house did not involve any such discussions. Judges stated there was no objective material to support the accusations.
During his impeachment hearing on March 18, Park firmly denied the martial law allegations. He claimed he had actually advised President Yoon against declaring martial law. He also said the safe house meeting was informal and unrelated to state matters.
In addition to the martial law issue, lawmakers criticized Park for refusing to submit records on special activity funds. These funds are used by the prosecution service, which Park oversees. Lawmakers argued that his refusal violated the Act on Testimony and Appraisal Before the National Assembly.
Another allegation involved Park’s abrupt departure from a parliamentary session in December 2024. During that session, lawmakers debated appointing a special prosecutor to investigate former first lady Kim Keon Hee.
After the ruling, Park told reporters he had done nothing to justify impeachment. He thanked the court for its fair judgment and said he would return to work immediately. Park also expressed relief that the martial law allegations had been resolved.
