In a trial broadcast nationwide, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that he was guilty of aiding Yoon's declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, by instructing police and fire agencies to cut off power and water to media outlets on Yoon's orders.
The court also found him guilty of perjury for denying his involvement in the botched debacle during, Yoon's impeachment trial in February last year.
The court said the short-lived fiasco that night was an "insurrection which undermined the constitutional order and the core values of democracy," making heavy punishment inevitable regardless of whether it succeeded or failed.
It also said that Lee "would have recognized [Yoon's late-night bid] as illegal and unconstitutional," adding that there was evidence of orders to cut off power and water to major institutions and news outlets.
Despite the court's ruling that the botched debacle constituted an insurrection, the sentence was less than half the 15 years prosecutors sought at Lee's final hearing last month.
After the ruling, prosecutors expressed disappointment over the lighter sentence and said they will decide soon whether to appeal.
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