The Constitutional Court (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 10 (Korea Bizwire) – The Constitutional Court on Thursday rejected the impeachment of Justice Minister Park Sung-jae over his alleged involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law bid in December.
The court’s ruling immediately reinstated Park nearly four months after he was impeached by the National Assembly on charges of aiding and abetting Yoon before and after his surprise declaration of martial law on Dec. 3.
“There is no evidence or objective material to back allegations that he aided the president’s declaration of martial law by implied or tacit agreement,” the court said in delivering its unanimous verdict.
Park was accused of not opposing the former president during a Cabinet meeting held immediately before his martial law announcement. He was also alleged to have planned the government’s response at a presidential safe house following parliament’s reversal of the decree and prepared a detention facility for lawmakers while the order was in force.
“Simply because he held a meeting at the presidential safe house after the martial law was lifted, the defendant cannot be said to have been involved in an act of insurrection through discussions on legal follow-up measures for the act of insurrection or a consideration of response measures,” the court said.
Park had denied the charges, saying he actively sought to dissuade Yoon from declaring martial law and did not discuss follow-up measures during the gathering at the presidential safe house.
(Yonhap)
