'Conspiracy with Yoon' Former Minister Lee Sang-min, Trial Begins on the 19th of Next Month

[Financial News] The trial of former Minister of Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, who was indicted and detained for charges including failing to prevent and participating in the unconstitutional and illegal martial law declaration by former President Yoon Seok-yeol during the 12·3 martial law crisis, will begin next month.
According to the legal community on the 25th, the 32nd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Chief Judge Kang Wan-soo) has set the first trial preparation date for the former minister, who is accused of engaging in important tasks related to rebellion, for 2 PM on September 19. The trial preparation date is a procedure where the prosecution and the defendant meet to confirm each other's positions and plan future evidence, and the defendant is not required to attend.
Previously, the special prosecutor's team for rebellion and foreign affairs (Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok) indicted the former minister on the 19th for engaging in important tasks related to rebellion, abuse of authority, and perjury.
The former minister is accused of failing to prevent and instead participating in the illegal and unconstitutional martial law declaration, despite being the minister in charge of martial law during peacetime.
Additionally, on December 3 last year, at around 11:37 PM, he is accused of receiving instructions from former President Yoon and calling Fire Commissioner Heo Seok-gon to order power and water cuts to Hankyoreh Newspaper, Kyunghyang Newspaper, MBC, JTBC, and the public opinion research firm Flower.
There are also allegations of perjury related to these charges during investigations and the impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court.
The former minister was detained at Seoul Detention Center after a warrant was issued by the court on the 1st. He requested a detention review, claiming the detention was unjust, but it was not accepted.
Regarding the martial law crisis, the indictment of a cabinet member from the Yoon Seok-yeol administration is the second, following former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun.

scottchoi15@fnnews.com Choi Eun-sol Reporter