Former Minister Lee Sang-min Sentenced to 7 Years in First Trial Over Orders to Cut Off Media Power and Water

Court: "December 3 Martial Law Constitutes Insurrection Under the Criminal Act"

Former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, who was indicted on charges of participating in insurrection, including relaying orders to cut off electricity and water supplies to media outlets during the December 3 Martial Law, was sentenced at the first trial to seven years in prison.

On the 12th, the 32nd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Ryu Kyungjin) sentenced former Minister Lee to seven years in prison on charges including engaging in important duties related to insurrection. Earlier, Special Prosecutor Cho Eunseok's team for the insurrection case had requested a 15-year prison term for Lee last month.

Former Minister Lee is accused of sequentially participating in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's insurrection crimes, including relaying orders to the National Police Agency and the National Fire Agency to cut off electricity and water supplies to media outlets. The court ruled that the December 3 Martial Law constituted insurrection under the Criminal Act. On this major premise, it found Lee guilty of the charges.

He was also found guilty of perjury for falsely testifying during the impeachment trial of former President Yoon at the Constitutional Court in February 2025, claiming that he had never issued orders to cut off electricity and water supplies and had never received related instructions from the president.

However, the court found him not guilty of abusing his authority (abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights) in connection with the charge that he exercised his official power by relaying the order to cut off electricity and water supplies to former Commissioner of the National Fire Agency Heo Seokgon.

The court stated, "The insurrectionary acts of former President Yoon, former Minister of National Defense Kim Yonghyun, and the defendant (former Minister Lee) undermined the core values of democracy, and therefore, regardless of whether their objective was achieved, severe punishment is unavoidable."