Special Prosecutor for Rebellion Summons Lee Sangmin for 'Rebellion Conspiracy'... Second Interrogation Since Arrest

Charged with Key Roles in Rebellion and Perjury

Former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sangmin, who is accused of power and water outages, perjury, and engaging in important duties related to rebellion, remained silent in response to reporters' questions as he appeared before the Special Prosecutor's Office for Rebellion in Seocho-dong, Seoul on the 25th of last month. Photo by Jo Yongjun

Lee Sangmin, the former Minister of the Interior and Safety, who was arrested on charges including conspiracy to commit rebellion related to the declaration of martial law, is undergoing his second interrogation since being taken into custody.

The Special Prosecutor's Office for Rebellion (led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eunseok) began questioning Lee at 10 a.m. on August 18. Lee arrived at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, where the special prosecutor's team is based, wearing handcuffs and a mask. He is the second cabinet member to be arrested in connection with the martial law incident, following former Defense Minister Kim Yonghyun, who was detained on the first of this month.

As the head of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, which is the primary authority for martial law during peacetime, Lee is accused of failing to prevent and condoning the illegal declaration of martial law. He is also alleged to have committed acts undermining the constitutional order by conveying instructions to the National Police Agency and the National Fire Agency to cut off power and water to media outlets, thereby infringing on press freedom and the public's right to life and safety. Additionally, he is suspected of gradually participating in former President Yoon Sukyeol's rebellion-related crimes through these actions.

Lee also faces charges of perjury before the Constitutional Court. During the impeachment trial of former President Yoon in February, he testified that he had never attempted to cut off electricity or water and had never received such instructions from the president. However, the special prosecutor's team considers all of this testimony to be false.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.