Seoul: A special counsel team on Wednesday appealed a court ruling sentencing former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min to seven years in prison for his involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law. The team led by Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk filed the appeal six days after the Seoul Central District Court found Lee guilty of participating in Yoon's failed attempt to impose martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, and of perjury during the former president's impeachment trial last year.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the appeal was filed on the grounds of misinterpretation of facts, misapplication of legal principles, and an unduly lenient sentence, as stated by the special counsel team in a media release. Prosecutors had initially sought a 15-year prison term for Lee, accusing him of ordering officials to cut off electricity and water supplies to media outlets critical of the administration on the night Yoon declared martial law.

Lee Sang-min became the second member of Yoon's Cabinet to be convicted in connection with the emergency order. Last month, former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo received a 23-year prison sentence for his involvement in the short-lived attempt to impose martial law. In response to his conviction, Lee's legal team also filed an appeal on Friday, just a day after the sentencing.