With the Constitutional Court's (Constitutional Court of Korea) decision to dismiss the impeachment trial, Park Seong-jae, Minister of Justice, has returned to his duties. Minister Park expressed his intention to quickly assess the current situation and carry out normal work.
Minister of Justice Park Seong-jae is greeting Vice Minister Kim Seok-woo as he arrives at the Ministry of Justice building in Gwacheon on the 10th. On the same day, the Constitutional Court dismissed the National Assembly's impeachment motion against Minister Park. Photo by Yonhap News
On the 10th at around 2:43 PM, Minister Park arrived at the Government Complex Gwacheon and told reporters, "I have been away from the office for a long time, so I will quickly grasp the work and receive reports on the situation as soon as possible."
When asked about his thoughts, Minister Park said, "Personally, I do not believe I committed any wrongdoing that would warrant impeachment, and I stated this in my final statement," adding, "I am grateful that this was accepted and that the Constitutional Court made a wise decision."
Regarding the dismissal of former President Yoon Seok-yeol, he said, "We have no choice but to respect the Constitutional Court's decision."
In a message titled "Remarks on Returning to the Ministry of Justice" posted on the Ministry of Justice's internal network that day, Minister Park said, "As I return to work, I believe that establishing stability in our society and the rule of law is the task I must carry out until the end," and added, "I ask all members of the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution to devote themselves to their duties with a determined spirit."
He also emphasized, "I ask the prosecution not to waver in socially significant cases but to thoroughly establish the rule of law in our society through fair and swift investigations," and said, "Although these are difficult times, I believe that if all members unite, we can overcome them wisely."
On the same day, the Constitutional Court unanimously dismissed the impeachment motion against Minister Park with all eight justices in agreement. The impeachment motion against Minister Park was passed by the National Assembly on December 12 of last year. The National Assembly pushed for impeachment on the grounds that Minister Park did not oppose former President Yoon's declaration of martial law and discussed follow-up measures to martial law at a private residence in Samcheong-dong the day after the martial law was declared.
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