The special counsel investigating the insurrection case sought a five-year prison term for former Korea TV (KTV) Director Lee Eun-woo, who is accused of ordering the deletion of broadcast captions covering politicians' remarks pointing out the unconstitutionality and illegality of the Dec. 3 martial law.
On the 15th, at the sentencing hearing for Lee's case on charges of abuse of authority to interfere with the exercise of rights, held before the 23rd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Oh Se-yong, senior judge), the special counsel investigating the insurrection case asked the court to hand down such a sentence.
Lee was brought to trial on charges of ordering employees to delete broadcast captions covering politicians' remarks that "martial law is illegal and unconstitutional" at the time of the Dec. 3 martial law declaration.
The special counsel investigating the insurrection case said, "The defendant, as the person responsible for programming and as a national civil servant, had a duty to provide fair and balanced information about the declaration of martial law, which threatened the nation's existence and the people's fundamental rights, yet abandoned that duty."
It added, "In a situation where the public was thrown into shock and confusion by an unforeseen declaration of martial law, the defendant's crime not only heightened public confusion but also promoted unconstitutional and illegal martial law and sided with it."
Lee and the defense argued that KTV's characteristics should be taken into account. In a final statement, Lee said, "KTV is not a typical media outlet that checks and criticizes those in power, but a state institution under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism that exists solely to publicize government policies," adding, "Airing political fights edited without filtering violates a civil servant's political neutrality."
The court set the sentencing date in this case for the 26th of next month.