Former KTV President Eunwoo Lee, Accused of "Promoting Rebellion," May Have Detention Decided as Early as Today

Repeatedly Broadcasting News Justifying Rebellion
First Detention Warrant Requested Since Launch of Second Special Prosecutors’ Office

Eunwoo Lee, Former President of the Korea Policy Broadcasting Agency, Yonhap News

The decision on whether to detain Eunwoo Lee, former President of the Korea Policy Broadcasting Agency (KTV), who is accused of promoting insurrection in connection with the December 3 Martial Law Declaration, could be made as early as May 21. This warrant is the first arrest warrant requested since the launch of the second comprehensive special prosecutor's office investigating the so-called 'three major suspicions'—the insurrection, First Lady Kim Kun Hee, and the death of a marine in the line of duty.

Lee Jongrok, the presiding judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, held a pretrial detention hearing (substantive warrant review) for Lee, who is accused of insurrection propaganda, at 10:00 a.m. on this day.

Lee is accused of repeatedly instructing the broadcast of news asserting the legitimacy of martial law and proclamations related to insurrection from December 3 to December 13, 2024, immediately following the declaration of martial law by former President Yoon Suk Yeol. He is also accused of blocking and deleting news critical of the martial law.

Previously, the special prosecutor's team led by Cho Eunseok indicted Lee without detention in December last year for abuse of power and obstruction of the exercise of rights, alleging that he ordered the deletion of broadcast subtitles covering politicians' remarks that "martial law is illegal and unconstitutional" at the time of the martial law declaration. At the sentencing hearing on May 15, the prosecution requested a five-year prison term for Lee, who is awaiting the first-instance verdict scheduled for June 26.

The second comprehensive special prosecutor's office detected circumstances indicating that Lee continued to support and shield insurrectionary forces even after the martial law was lifted, and initiated an investigation, requesting an arrest warrant for him on May 18. This marks the first attempt to secure a suspect's custody in the 82 days since the launch of the comprehensive special prosecutor's office in February.

A decision on Lee's detention is expected as early as tonight. As this is the first warrant to be ruled on by the court since the launch of the second comprehensive special prosecutor's office, if the warrant is issued, the investigation into related suspicions is expected to accelerate. If dismissed, the special prosecutor's office could face criticism for excessive or redundant investigation.

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