[News Today] Lee sentenced to 9 years on appeal

[LEAD]

Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min has been sentenced to nine years in prison in his appeals trial over his role in the December 3rd martial law. That is two years longer than his first-trial sentence. The court said Lee knew the martial law was illegal, but still chose to follow the order to cut power and water supplies to media outlets.

It sharply criticized him for nearly putting people's lives at serious risk.

[REPORT]

Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, accused of taking part in insurrection, was sentenced to nine years in prison in his appeals trial.

His prison term has been raised by two years from the first trial sentence.

The appellate court acknowledged that he received documents from former President Yoon Suk Yeol ordering him to cut off power and water supplies to media outlets and passed the order to the National Fire Agency.

Lee was also found guilty of partial perjury during impeachment proceedings.

Yoon Sung-sik / Presiding Judge, Seoul High Court

Footage shows Yoon signaling Lee to call. Lee then told fire agency chief that police would enter certain media outlets at midnight.

The guilty verdict remained the same as the first trial, but the sentence rose as the court viewed his role in the insurrection more seriously.

The court noted one phone call instructing the fire agency chief to cut power and water.

The court of first trial said Lee did not issue repeated instructions, but the appellate court ruled that a single phone call was still a grave act of insurrection.

It added that the power and water cuts were not carried out not because of Lee’s decision, but because the National Fire Agency refused to comply.

The court said the interior minister, who is responsible for public safety, had evaded that responsibility.

Yoon Sung-sik / Presiding Judge, Seoul High Court

He checked the Constitution on martial law, but still chose to follow unconstitutional and unlawful order.

The insurrection tribunal again confirmed that the December 3rd martial law amounted to insurrection and that the opposition’s budget cuts cited by Yoon could not justify martial law.