The special counsel on insurrection also sought a 15-year prison term on appeal for former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, who was indicted on charges including involvement in relaying orders to cut power and water to news outlets during the Dec. 3 martial law. The request matches the sentence sought at the first trial.
The Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul High Court (presiding judge Yoon Sung-sik, senior judge) on the 22nd held the final hearing in the appeal of the former Minister, who was indicted on charges including engaging in important duties related to insurrection. In its closing argument, the special counsel said the former Minister, in the position of the minister in charge under martial law, instructed the National Fire Agency commissioner to prepare to assist with power and water cutoffs and, in the process, abused authority to compel actions with no legal duty.
The special counsel also pointed to the perjury charge, saying Lee gave false testimony during the impeachment trial of former President Yoon Suk-yeol to conceal the circumstances and related facts of Lee's involvement in the insurrection. The thrust is that, despite having an opportunity to correct the conduct of former President Yoon and former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, Lee stuck to false explanations.
The special counsel also contrasted the former Minister's actions with cases of military and police leadership who refused to carry out illegal orders at the time, saying the weight of responsibility cannot be taken lightly. It also cited the heavy sentences imposed at first instance on former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho, asking the court to reflect this in sentencing.
The former Minister was indicted on charges of condoning and aiding former President Yoon's unlawful declaration of martial law despite being the competent minister under the Martial Law Act, and of being involved in relaying orders to cut power and water to certain news outlets. Lee is also charged with perjury for testifying in the Constitutional Court's impeachment trial in Feb. last year that Lee had never received related instructions.
At first instance, the court found that the former Minister partially participated in the overall insurrection as a member of the insurrection group and sentenced Lee to seven years in prison. The court determined that even if the power and water cutoffs were not actually carried out, separate liability is established for participation in the execution process of the insurrection.