A court has denied an arrest warrant for Lee Eun-woo, the former director of the Korea Policy Broadcasting (KTV), who is facing sedition charges related to the December 3 martial law declaration.
According to Yonhap News on May 21, Judge Lee Jong-rok of the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the warrant after a pre-arrest interrogation of Lee. The judge stated, "There is room for dispute regarding the establishment of the sedition charges," and added that it is unlikely Lee would flee or destroy evidence based on the current status of the case.
Lee is accused of repeatedly broadcasting news that justified the martial law and related proclamations from December 3 to December 13, 2024, while blocking and deleting news critical of the martial law.
The special prosecutors' team has identified indications that Lee continued to support sedition forces even after the martial law was lifted, prompting them to reopen the investigation and file for an arrest warrant on May 18.
This warrant request marked the first attempt by the special prosecutors to secure an arrest since the team's establishment in February, approximately 82 days prior. However, the court's denial has raised concerns that the special prosecutors may have rushed the warrant request amid criticism of their lack of progress.
As the special prosecutors approach the expiration of their initial investigation period on May 24, they have yet to arrest or indict any suspects.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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