Police Conduct Search and Seizure at Sangmin Lee's Residence over Suspected Power and Water Cut-off

Police Also Conduct Raids at Offices of Fire Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner

On the 18th, the police conducted searches and seizures at the residence of former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, his offices in Seoul and Sejong, as well as the offices of Fire Commissioner Heo Seok-gon and Deputy Fire Commissioner Lee Young-pal.

Former Minister of the Interior and Safety Sang-min Lee. Photo by Hyun-min Kim

The police's Special Investigation Unit for Emergency Martial Law sent investigators to these five locations in the morning to secure related documents, electronic records, and other materials.

Former Minister Lee is under police investigation on suspicion of ordering power and water cuts to media outlets such as Hankyoreh, Kyunghyang Shinmun, and MBC during the martial law period. The unit is reviewing materials received from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) that investigated Commissioner Heo as a witness regarding these allegations.

The police special investigation unit plans to analyze the materials obtained through the searches and summons former Minister Lee, Commissioner Heo, and others for questioning.

On the 11th, former Minister Lee appeared at the Constitutional Court during the impeachment trial of President Yoon Seok-yeol and claimed that he never attempted to cut off electricity or water supply to media companies, nor was he ever instructed to do so.

He stated, "I saw a few paper notes from a distance at the Presidential Office, and among those notes, there was content about power and water cuts at the Fire Agency."