Former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min appeared for questioning by the special investigation team on insurrection on the 18th. This is the second investigation he has received since being arrested over allegations of instructing power outages and water shutoffs for certain media outlets.
The special investigation team stated in a notice sent to the media that they have been summoning former Minister Lee for questioning at the Seoul High Prosecutor's Office starting at 10 a.m.
Former Minister Lee has been detained at the Seoul Detention Center since being arrested on the 1st on charges of engaging in important insurrection duties, abuse of power, and perjury. The special investigation team previously requested an arrest warrant for former Minister Lee at the Seoul Central District Court on the 28th of last month, and the court issued the warrant, stating that there was a concern he might destroy evidence. Subsequently, the team summoned former Minister Lee for questioning on the 4th.
He requested the court to reconsider the legality of his arrest; however, the court rejected the request on the 8th.
Former Minister Lee is accused of receiving instructions from former President Yoon Suk-yeol during a Cabinet meeting on December 3 of last year regarding the declaration of a state of emergency, and of relaying those instructions to the fire and police departments.
In addition, former Minister Lee is also accused of giving false testimony to the Constitutional Court. The special investigation team believes that his statement in February, during the impeachment trial arguments of former President Yoon at the Constitutional Court, where he said, "I have seen a paper note from a distance in the presidential office, but I have never seen a document that specifically stated the contents of the power and water shutoffs," was false.
Meanwhile, the deadline for former Minister Lee's detention is expected to expire on the 21st. As former Minister Lee denies all allegations, there is also speculation that the special investigation team might indict him without further investigation.