Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – On December 12, the Seoul Central District Court in South Korea handed down its first-instance verdict in the case of former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, who was accused of involvement in a major mission related to the civil unrest, sentencing him to seven years in prison.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the court found Lee Sang-min guilty of charges including "involvement in a major mission related to the civil unrest" and "perjury," but did not find guilty of charges such as "abuse of power obstructing the exercise of rights by others." It is understood that the court's first-instance sentence was lower than the 15-year prison sentence previously recommended by the special prosecutor's team for the civil unrest.
On July 28, 2025, the special prosecutor's team applied to the court for an arrest warrant on charges of involvement in a major mission related to the civil unrest, abuse of power obstructing the exercise of rights by others, and perjury. The special prosecutor's team believes that Lee Sang-min assisted former South Korean President Yoon Seok-youl in declaring martial law on December 3, 2024, and abused his power by instructing the National Police Agency and the Fire Service to cut off water and electricity to some media office buildings, infringing on media freedom and endangering the lives of citizens. His actions constitute the crime of "disrupting the constitutional order of the country." Furthermore, Lee Sang-min is also suspected of perjury during the Constitutional Court's trial of Yoon Seok-youl's impeachment.
According to previous reports, in the early morning of August 1, 2025, the Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Lee Sang-min on the grounds of "fear of destroying evidence." On January 12 of this year, the special prosecutor's team requested the court to sentence Lee Sang-min to 15 years in prison on charges including participating in a major mission related to internal strife. (End)
