(2nd LD) Ex-interior minister sentenced to 7 years in prison in martial law trial

▲ Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min (Yonhap)

(2nd LD) ex-interior minister-trial

(2nd LD) Ex-interior minister sentenced to 7 years in prison in martial law trial

(ATTN: ADDS details; RESTORES previous material)

SEOUL, Feb. 12 (Yonhap) -- Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min was sentenced to seven years in prison Thursday over his role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed bid to impose martial law in 2024.

The Seoul Central District Court handed down the verdict in a live-televised ruling, finding him guilty of playing a key role in an insurrection in connection with Yoon's martial law decree.

With the ruling, Lee has become the second member of Yoon's Cabinet to be convicted over the Dec. 3, 2024, emergency order after former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo last month received a 23-year prison term for his role in the former president's short-lived attempt.

Special counsel Cho Eun-suk had demanded a 15-year prison term for Lee, accusing him of abetting Yoon's martial law declaration and ordering the police and fire agencies at the time to cut off power and water to media outlets critical of the then administration.

As in Han's trial, the court determined that Yoon's decree amounted to insurrection, recognizing that Lee made instructions to the then National Fire Agency chief to lock down major agencies and cut off power and water to the media outlets at Yoon's orders.

The court also found Lee guilty of lying under oath when he denied during Yoon's impeachment trial in February last year that he made such instructions or received the orders from the now ousted former president.

It, however, acquitted him of charges of allegedly forcing the then fire chief to act outside his authority when he made the instructions.

"Acts of insurrection damage the core values of democracy, and heavy punishment is inevitable regardless of whether they achieved their objectives," the court said. "Considering (Lee) ordered the fire agency to cooperate in cutting off power and water to media outlets and took part in an insurrection, the culpability is not light."

During the trial, Lee had denied taking part in planning Yoon's decree and argued that the former president's martial law decree could not be seen as insurrection.

Yoon's own criminal trial on charges of leading an insurrection through the martial law decree concluded last month, with the special counsel demanding the death penalty.

The verdict of that case is set to be announced next Thursday.

Under the Constitution, an insurrection is defined as an act aimed at removing state authority from part or all of the country or the staging of a riot with the purpose of subverting the Constitution.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved