Seoul: Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min denied Tuesday that he ordered cutting off power and water to major media outlets during the short-lived imposition of martial law or received such instructions from President Yoon Suk Yeol. Lee made the remarks as a witness during the seventh formal hearing of Yoon's impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court, referring to allegations in the prosecution's indictment of Yoon that the president ordered him around midnight on Dec. 3 to cut off power and water to Hankyoreh, the Kyunghyang Shinmun, MBC and JTBC -- left-leaning media outlets critical of Yoon -- as well as opinion polling agency Flower Research.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee stated, "Such measures were completely excluded from the martial law (decree) so I don't think there was reason to give such instructions." He further clarified that the interior minister has no authority to command the police or the firefighting agency, and President Yoon was aware of this, implying that such orders would not have been issued to him. However, Lee admitted to seeing a note on Yoon's desk that mentioned the fire agency cutting off power and water to the listed media outlets and polling agency.
Lee also testified about his attempts to dissuade President Yoon from declaring martial law on the night of Dec. 3. He recounted that when Yoon reentered a meeting with Cabinet members, they tried to discourage him, but Yoon insisted he had carefully considered the decision despite its potential repercussions.
Prior to Lee's testimony, President Yoon requested an opportunity to address the court. He expressed opposition to using prosecution reports from multiple investigation agencies as evidence due to inconsistencies in testimonies. Acting court President Moon Hyung-bae agreed to discuss this with the other justices.
The impeachment trial is nearing its conclusion, with only one more hearing scheduled for Thursday, though additional sessions could be designated. National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik also testified, recalling a conversation with Yoon about the need for an "exceptional measure," which he interpreted as a military role in politics but not necessarily martial law.
Shin, who was the defense minister at the time, expressed his view that martial law would not be appropriate, citing historical, military, and public consciousness considerations. Baek Jong-wook, former third deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, and Kim Yong-bin, secretary-general of the National Election Commission, are expected to testify on Yoon's election fraud claims, which he cited as a reason for the martial law declaration.
Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly in December for allegedly inciting an insurrection through the martial law imposition. The Constitutional Court is determining whether to uphold the impeachment and remove him from office or dismiss it and reinstate him. Yoon is currently detained, awaiting a separate criminal trial on insurrection charges.