The Seoul Central District Court is scheduled to deliver its verdict at 2 p.m., in a trial broadcast nationwide.
Lee is accused 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.
He is also charged with perjury for denying his involvement in the botched debacle, during Yoon's impeachment trial in February last year.
In his final hearing last month, Lee remained adamant, persistently denying all allegations. But prosecutors sought 15 years in prison, saying Lee, who oversaw national security and disaster management, failed to stop Yoon despite being fully aware that Yoon's late-night bid was illegal and unconstitutional.
Thursday's ruling will be the second in cases related to the debacle, after former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was sentenced to 23 years in prison, heavier than the 15 years prosecutors sought, as the court found that the short-lived, late-night fiasco constituted an insurrection.
Much attention is now focused on the implications of these two rulings for Yoon's own trial on charges of insurrection and abuse of power, with his verdict set for next Thursday.
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