Seoul: Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min has appealed a court ruling sentencing him to seven years in prison for playing a key role in an insurrection in connection with former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched bid to impose martial law. Lee's lawyers filed the appeal the previous day, two days after the Seoul Central District Court found him guilty of involvement in Yoon's failed attempt on Dec. 3, 2024, and perjuring himself during the former president's impeachment trial last year.

According to Yonhap News Agency, special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team had demanded a 15-year prison term for Lee. He was accused of issuing instructions to cut off power and water to media outlets critical of the administration on the night of Yoon's martial law declaration. This appeal marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the failed martial law attempt.

Lee is the second member of the former president's Cabinet to face conviction over the emergency order. Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo received a 23-year prison sentence last month for his role in the short-lived attempt to impose martial law. This case continues to unfold as legal teams prepare for the appeal process.