Former Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min sits in the defendant’s chair at Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, Seoul, Oct. 17, 2025, during the first hearing of his trial on charges including playing a key role in an alleged insurrection. Korea Times photo by Park Si-mon
The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday sentenced former Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min to seven years in prison for his role in ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024 for his role in ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024, including relaying orders to cut electricity and water to certain media outlets.
This is the second time a member of the former president's Cabinet has been convicted in a lower court over the martial law crisis, following last month’s 23-year prison sentence for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.
In its ruling, the court said that the actions of Yoon and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun — including their attempts to block access to the National Assembly — constituted an insurrection carried out with the intent to undermine the constitutional order.
The court noted that the martial law declaration temporarily suspended civil liberties in Seoul and granted authorities sweeping powers over the capital, allowing them to control movement, communications and access to government facilities.
The judges emphasized that these measures were not prompted by immediate security threats but were instead orchestrated from the top to consolidate political power, reflecting what they described as a "self-coup" attempt.
The court also found that Lee had received direct instructions from Yoon to cut electricity and water supplies to specific media outlets on the night martial law was imposed.
The judges determined that Lee’s actions — relaying the orders and ensuring they were executed — amounted to a "significant functional role" in the alleged insurrection, highlighting his active participation in implementing the top-down measures.
However, the court stopped short of convicting him on charges of abuse of authority in connection with the utility cutoff orders, noting that while his conduct was instrumental in the execution of Yoon’s directives, it did not constitute a separate act of legal abuse under the relevant statutes.
Citizens watch news coverage of a lower court ruling on former Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min for his role in ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol’s 2024 martial law declaration at Seoul Station, Thursday. Yonhap
Source: Korea Times News
