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Ex-justice minister attends arrest warrant hearing for 2nd time

Published: 13 Nov. 2025, 11:59

Former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae, center, arrives at the Seoul Central District Court on Nov. 13 to attend his arrest warrant hearing. [YONHAP]

Former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae attended an arrest warrant hearing at a court Thursday over his alleged role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed imposition of martial law.

The hearing was held at the Seoul Central District Court after special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team applied for a warrant to detain Park for the second time Tuesday.

The court rejected the special counsel's previous request to put Park under arrest last month, citing insufficient evidence to justify detention.

Park is accused of playing a key role in Yoon's martial law imposition and alleged insurrection, such as by ordering the possible dispatch of prosecutors to a martial law-related organ, putting Korea Immigration Service officials in charge of travel bans on standby and directing the Korea Correctional Service (KCS) to assess detention centers' available capacity.

Cho's team said it has resummoned Park, reseized his cellphone and confirmed additional criminal charges against him after the dismissal of his arrest warrant on Oct. 15.

Specifically, the investigators discovered a computer file indicating the justice ministry drafted a document containing logic justifying Yoon's martial law, according to Cho's team.

In addition, the team said it has confirmed that the KCS informed Park that detention centers in the capital area have the capacity to accommodate some 3,600 additional inmates.

Yonhap