Seoul: The constitutional court of South Korea said on Thursday that it had rejected the motion for the impeachment of Justice Minister Park Sung-jae, as no serious reasons for his removal from office had been found.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the parliament demanded Park's impeachment due to his alleged participation in the declaration of martial law by impeached President Yoon Seok-yeol. The court approved Yoon's impeachment on April 4. At the same time, it did not find enough proof of wrongdoing on the minister's part.

"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 was quoted as saying by the Yonhap news agency.

There was no proof that the minister willfully made arrangements for the preparation of detention facilities for the unlawful detention of opposition members of parliament on the night of the declaration of martial law, the court specified.

The court found only one minor violation of the law in that Park first refused but then agreed to partially disclose information about the transfer of detainees in a Seoul detention center, which could be interpreted as part of arrangements for the detention of opposition lawmakers. The court ruled that this was not a grave enough transgression for an impeachment.

The court's ruling amounts to Park's automatic reinstatement as minister.

On December 3, 2024, Yoon declared martial law, claiming that the opposition was sympathizing with North Korea and plotting a "rebellion." The parliament voted to lift his declaration just hours later, which Yoon complied with, subsequently apologizing to the nation. On December 14, the South Korean parliament impeached Yoon over his controversial martial law declaration.