On December 3, 2024, former Minister of the Interior and Safety, Lee Sang-min, was arrested on charges of actively participating in the illegal martial law decree. Lee is suspected of plotting rebellion, abuse of power, and perjury for allegedly ordering power and water cuts to media outlets like Kyunghyang Shinmun. He is the second cabinet member to be arrested in connection with the illegal martial law, following former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun. This arrest is expected to accelerate the investigation into other cabinet members, including former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.
Chief Judge Jung Jae-wook of the Seoul Central District Court, who was in charge of warrants, held a suspect interrogation before Lee Sang-min's arrest on July 31 and issued the arrest warrant around 12:45 a.m. on August 1. Judge Jung stated, "There is sufficient reason to believe that a crime was committed, and there is a risk of evidence being destroyed." The special prosecution team had requested the warrant for Lee on the 28th of last month, charging him with plotting rebellion, abuse of power, and perjury.
Special Prosecution Team Cites 160-Page PPT and Video Evidence to Justify Arrest
Eight prosecutors, including Special Prosecutor Lee Yoon-je, were assigned to the warrant review. The special prosecution team submitted a 160-page PowerPoint presentation and CCTV footage of the cabinet meeting on the day of the martial law decree to the court, emphasizing the necessity of Lee's arrest. Specifically, the team obtained and submitted statements from four media outlets—Kyunghyang Shinmun, Hankyoreh Shinmun, MBC, and JTBC— detailing the potential damages they would have suffered if the power and water cuts had been implemented. The team also submitted a 300-page opinion paper on the necessity of the arrest, focusing on proving Lee's charges.
The special prosecution team argued that Lee actively participated in the illegal martial law decree by neglecting his duties as the Minister of the Interior and Safety, as stipulated by the Constitution and law. According to the Martial Law Act, Lee, as the responsible minister, should have prevented the illegal decree but instead tried to mobilize the National Police Agency and the National Fire Agency, which are under his command, to enforce the martial law.
Instructions from Former President Yoon, Determined as a Co-Conspirator in Rebellion
The special prosecution team highlighted that Lee actively participated in enforcing the martial law by receiving instructions from former President Yoon Suk Yeol to cut power and water to media outlets and then relaying these orders to the National Fire Agency. This led the team to conclude that Lee was a co-conspirator in rebellion, having played a leading role in the enforcement of the martial law alongside former President Yoon and former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun.
In the impeachment trial for former President Yoon at the Constitutional Court on February 11, Lee testified that he had never attempted to cut power and water to media outlets and had never received such instructions from the president. The special prosecution team claimed this testimony was perjury, applied perjury charges, and argued that the arrest was necessary due to the risk of evidence being destroyed.
In contrast, Lee's side reportedly argued during the warrant review that he never received instructions from former President Yoon regarding power and water cuts, and that such an act was outside the authority of the Minister of the Interior and Safety. They also emphasized that the action was a "misattempt" since the power and water cuts were never actually carried out, and therefore, there was no risk of evidence destruction. However, the court accepted the special prosecution team's arguments and issued the arrest warrant.
Investigation into Other Cabinet Members Gains Momentum, Including Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo
The court's issuance of Lee's arrest warrant suggests that the charges against him have been substantially substantiated. In particular, with the charge of plotting rebellion being partially proven, it is highly likely that the same charge will be considered for other cabinet members with strong indications of involvement in the martial law decree, such as former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. The charge of plotting rebellion is a serious crime applied to those who played a significant role in leading a rebellion, second only to the ringleaders.
With Lee now in custody, the special prosecution team plans to focus on investigating the involvement of other cabinet members in the martial law decree. The team has already questioned Son Young-taek, former chief of staff to former Prime Minister Han, as a witness. The investigation into the allegation that they gathered at the presidential safe house on December 4 of last year, after the martial law was lifted, to discuss a second martial law or plans for handling the aftermath, is also expected to accelerate. With this arrest, the special prosecution's investigation to uncover the full truth of the illegal martial law is reaching its peak.
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