Police on Tuesday launched a raid on the home and offices of former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min in Seoul and Sejong as part of an investigation into insurrection charges, including allegations that he ordered cuts to power and water supplies for local media outlets and broadcasters on Dec. 3.
The Korean National Police Agency’s National Office of Investigation said it simultaneously conducted a search and seizure of the offices of Fire Commissioner Heo Seok-gon and Deputy Fire Commissioner Lee Young-pal of the National Fire Agency.
Heo testified that Lee called and asked him to cooperate with a police request to cut off power and water to several media outlets in an audit held by the National Assembly’s Security and Public Administration Committee on Jan. 13.
Lee, charged with insurrection, has been under police investigation on suspicion of instructing officials to cut off power and water supplies to media organizations including Hankyoreh, Kyunghyang Shinmun and MBC during the period of martial law.
The special investigation team of the police will analyze the evidence seized during the raid prior to summoning Lee, Heo and others for questioning.
The police have taken over the case from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials.
According to the prosecution’s indictment, President Yoon Suk Yeol handed a note to Lee during a meeting with Cabinet members prior to the martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024, and instructed him to cut off power and water to Kyunghyang Shinmun, Hankyoreh, MBC, JTBC and pollster Flower Co.
The former interior minister remained silent when the lawmakers asked about such instructions in a hearing held by the National Assembly’s special committee on Feb. 4.
However, Lee denied the prosecution’s claim during the seventh hearing of Yoon’s impeachment trial on Feb. 11, testifying that he neither received such instructions from Yoon nor instructed anyone else to cut off power and water.
Lee argued that the interior minister does not have the authority to issue orders or commands to the fire commissioner.
Meanwhile, the prosecution’s special unit investigating Yoon’s martial law declaration conducted a separate search and seizure at the office of the Defense Ministry's National Assembly Cooperation Division within the ministry compound in Yongsan.
The operation targeted the residence and office of an official identified only by the surname Yang, the director of the National Assembly Cooperation Division, which facilitates cooperation and communication between the military and the National Assembly.
The prosecution suspects the division was involved in the preparations for martial law and guided the martial law troops on Dec. 3, 2024.
sj_lee@heraldcorp.com
