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Court again denies arrest warrant for ex-justice minister

Published: 14 Nov. 2025, 14:38

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

A court again denied a warrant Friday to arrest former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae on charges of involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed imposition of martial law.

Park has been accused by special counsel Cho Eun-seok's team of playing a key role in an insurrection by calling a meeting of senior justice ministry officials following the martial law declaration Dec. 3, ordering the possible dispatch of prosecutors to a martial law-related organ, directing the Korea Correctional Service (KCS) to check the capacity of detention facilities and putting Korea Immigration Service officials in charge of travel bans on standby.

Cho's team filed a second request for an arrest warrant earlier this week after the previous request was rejected by the Seoul Central District Court, which stated there was room for dispute over Park's awareness of the illegal nature of his actions.

The court rejected the second request Friday, saying the additional charges and material submitted to support the need for his arrest still left room for debate.

It added the former minister deserves the opportunity to defend himself without physical detention and does not appear likely to destroy evidence or flee, given the investigation process, his career, permanent residence and family relations.

In making the second request, Cho's team had said it discovered a computer file indicating the justice ministry drafted a document containing logic that justified Yoon's martial law imposition.

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

The special counsel team is expected to proceed to indict Park without physical detention.

Yonhap