Special Prosecutor Prepares 300-Page Opinion and 169-Page Presentation
Request for Reference Witness Investigation of National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonshik over "Obstruction of Martial Law Lifting Resolution"
Sangmin Lee, former Minister of the Interior and Safety, is entering the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 31st for the warrant hearing. Photo by Yonhap News
The warrant review for Lee Sangmin, former Minister of the Interior and Safety, who has been requested for arrest in connection with allegations such as "complicity in martial law," has begun.
On July 31, starting at 2:00 p.m., Judge Jung Jaewook, the judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, opened the warrant review for the former minister and is currently deliberating the necessity of pretrial detention.
Arriving at the court at approximately 1:38 p.m. that day, former Minister Lee did not respond to reporters' questions such as, "Did you instruct the Fire Commissioner to cut off electricity and water supply?", "What was the content of the documents held at the Presidential Office?", and "Do you admit to the perjury charges at the Constitutional Court?" and proceeded directly into the courtroom.
The special investigation team for insurrection (led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eunseok) requested an arrest warrant for the former minister on charges including participation in key insurrection duties, abuse of authority to obstruct the exercise of rights, and perjury.
At the warrant review, the special investigation team was represented by Special Prosecutor Lee Yoonjae, Chief Prosecutor Kookwon, and six other prosecutors. The team prepared a 169-page PowerPoint presentation to explain the necessity of Lee's detention. Previously, on July 29, the team submitted a written opinion of about 300 pages to the court, which reportedly included evidence substantiating the charges, the seriousness of the crimes, the necessity for detention, concerns about destruction of evidence, and risks of recidivism.
Former Minister Lee is accused of, around the time of the 12·3 Martial Law Declaration, receiving instructions from former President Yoon Sukyeol to order a particular media outlet to have its electricity and water supply cut off, and then calling Fire Commissioner Heo Seokgon to say, "If the police request cooperation for cutting off electricity and water, take action." However, Lee maintains that he never attempted such measures and never received such instructions from former President Yoon.
The special investigation team judged that Lee's actions constituted active "collusion" in the insurrectionary act of illegally declaring martial law, and thus applied the charge of participation in key insurrection duties.
Additionally, former Minister Lee is accused of giving false testimony during the Constitutional Court's impeachment trial. On February 11, he testified in the impeachment trial of former President Yoon that he had never received any instructions from Yoon to cut off electricity or water supply.
However, the special investigation team secured CCTV footage from the Presidential Office showing Lee holding a document suspected to contain instructions for cutting off electricity and water, and conversing with former Prime Minister Han Ducksoo. During the warrant review, the team reportedly played this CCTV footage to emphasize the necessity of Lee's detention.
Earlier, on July 17, the special investigation team launched a full-scale investigation by conducting searches and seizures at Lee's residence, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the Fire Commissioner's office. Subsequently, on July 25, Lee was summoned as a suspect and questioned for about 18 hours. It has been reported that Lee denied most of the allegations during the investigation.
Furthermore, the special investigation team requested National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonshik to participate as a reference witness regarding suspicions that the People Power Party leadership obstructed the National Assembly's resolution to lift martial law.
During a briefing, Special Prosecutor Park Jiyoung stated, "We are coordinating the timing and method of the investigation," and added, "Since the reference witness investigation is voluntary, we will ensure it can be conducted comfortably."
Speaker Woo managed the National Assembly for approximately 155 minutes on December 3 of last year, from the time former President Yoon declared martial law until the resolution to demand the lifting of martial law was passed.
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