Seoul: Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min denied Tuesday allegations that he ordered the cutting off of power and water to major media outlets during the brief imposition of martial law. He refuted claims that he received such instructions from President Yoon Suk Yeol.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee made these remarks while testifying as a witness during the seventh formal hearing of Yoon's impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court. The prosecution's indictment alleges that President Yoon instructed Lee around midnight on December 3 to cut off utilities to several left-leaning media outlets critical of his administration, including Hankyoreh, Kyunghyang Shinmun, MBC, and JTBC, as well as opinion polling agency Flower Research.
Lee insisted that such measures were not included in the martial law decree, stating, "Such measures were completely excluded from the martial law (decree) so I don't think there was reason to give such instructions." He further emphasized that the interior minister lacks the authority to command police or firefighting agencies, a fact he claimed the president was well aware of.
However, Lee did note seeing a document on President Yoon's desk labeled "National Fire Agency chief," which listed the names of the media outlets and the polling agency. "I saw a few notes from afar inside the president's office and one of them mentioned the fire agency cutting off power and water," he disclosed.
During his testimony, Lee also mentioned his attempt to dissuade President Yoon from declaring martial law on the night of December 3. He described a meeting with 11 Cabinet members where Yoon, despite being aware of the potential economic, diplomatic, and political repercussions, insisted on the necessity of martial law due to a heightened sense of crisis and responsibility as president.
Prior to Lee's testimony, President Yoon expressed his opposition to the Constitutional Court's use of the prosecution's interrogation reports as evidence, citing inconsistencies in testimonies across various investigation agencies. Acting court President Moon Hyung-bae stated he would discuss the matter with the other justices.
The trial is nearing its conclusion with only one more scheduled hearing on Thursday, though additional sessions may still be designated by the court.
Later in the day, National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik, also called as a witness, recounted a dinner conversation at a presidential safe house where President Yoon discussed the need for an "exceptional measure," which Shin interpreted as a potential military role in politics. However, Shin, who served as defense minister at the time, expressed his belief that martial law would be inappropriate.
Additional testimonies were provided by Baek Jong-wook, former third deputy director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and Kim Yong-bin, secretary-general of the National Election Commission (NEC). They addressed election fraud allegations cited by Yoon as justification for martial law. Baek indicated that while the NEC system had vulnerabilities potentially exposed to hacking, it should not be equated with election fraud.
The court rejected a request from Yoon's legal team to call Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Lee Kyung-min, acting commander of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, as witnesses, finding it unnecessary.
President Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly in December on charges of inciting insurrection through his martial law declaration. The Constitutional Court is currently deliberating whether to uphold the impeachment and remove him from office or dismiss it and reinstate him. Meanwhile, Yoon is being held at a detention center ahead of a separate criminal trial on insurrection charges.