The police are summoning and investigating former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min on the 18th as he is suspected of directing power cuts to major media outlets during the state of emergency on Dec. 3.
The police National Investigation Division Special Investigation Team announced through a media release that former Minister Lee is appearing as a suspect at the police station and is currently being investigated.
Former Minister Lee is accused of having received instructions from former President Yoon Suk-yeol regarding power cuts to specific media outlets before the National Security Council meeting on Dec. 3 last year, and then relaying that information to Fire Chief Heo Seok-gon and others.
On Feb. 11, former Minister Lee appeared as a witness in the 7th hearing of the Constitutional Court regarding the impeachment trial of former President Yoon, where he denied the related allegations, stating, “I have never received instructions for power cuts.”
Previously, on Feb. 18, the police conducted a search of former Minister Lee's residence and the ministerial office in Seoul and Sejong in connection with his allegations of insurrection. The day before, they had attempted to seize the presidential office's CCTV data, citing its necessity for proving the allegations against former Minister Lee, but were blocked by the security office.