Former Interior Minister of South Korea Lee Sang-min has been sentenced to 7 years in prison for aiding former President Yoon Seok-youl in the 2024 coup attempt.
The court found the former minister guilty of playing a key role in the coup attempt, which it defined as the imposition of martial law.
Prosecutors charged Lee Sang-min with assisting Yoon Seok-youl and ordering the police and firefighters to cut off electricity and water to buildings housing media organizations that criticized the then administration, demanding a 15-year prison sentence for him.
The judge stated while reading the verdict that acts of rebellion harm the core values of democracy and regardless of whether the goals are achieved or not, a severe punishment is inevitable.
During the trial, Lee Sang-min denied any involvement in the planning of martial law and said that the former president's decree could not be considered a declaration of rebellion.
Lee Sang-min became the second member of former President Yoon Seok-youl's cabinet convicted for imposing martial law on December 3, 2024. In January, former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was sentenced to 23 years in prison for aiding the coup organizer, the former South Korean president.
Eight criminal cases have been opened against Yoon Seok-youl himself over the attempt to impose martial law in the country. The prosecution has requested the death penalty for his rebellion charges. The verdict will be announced on February 19./Musavat.com