Former South Korean interior minister Lee Sang-min jailed 7 years in martial law case
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The Seoul Central District Court found Lee guilty of taking part in an insurrection by relaying instructions to the police and fire agencies to cut power and water to media outlets.
PHOTO: EPA
SEOUL – A South Korean court on Feb 12 sentenced former interior minister Lee Sang-min to seven years in prison on charges that included playing a key role in insurrection relating to ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law in December 2024.
The Seoul Central District Court found Lee, 61, guilty of taking part in an insurrection by relaying instructions to the police and fire agencies to cut power and water to media outlets.
He also committed perjury by denying he had taken these actions during Yoon’s impeachment proceedings, the judge said.
“Using physical force against media outlets critical of the government weakens public opposition to the insurrection, making it easier for the plot to proceed,” Judge Ryu Kyung-jin said.
Special prosecutors in January sought a 15-year prison sentence, arguing that the former interior minister had played a critical role in enabling the insurrection – allegations Lee denied.
Lee has been in custody since August after a court approved his arrest.
He is the second member of Yoon’s cabinet to be sentenced for their role in the martial law declaration, after former prime minister Han Duck-soo was sentenced to 23 years in jail in January. REUTERS
