Lee Sang-min (lawyer)
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Lee Sang-min | |
|---|---|
| 이상민 | |
 Lee in 2024 | |
| Minister of the Interior and Safety | |
| In office 12 May 2022 – 8 December 2024 | |
| President | Yoon Suk Yeol |
| Prime Minister | Han Duck-soo |
| Preceded by | Jeon Hae-cheol |
| Succeeded by | Yun Ho-jung |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 November 1964 Iksan, North Jeolla, South Korea |
| Party | Independent |
Other political affiliations | Chungam Faction (since 2022) |
| Education | Chungam High School Seoul National University (LLB) Korea University (MBA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  South Korea |
| Branch/service | Republic of Korea Air Force |
| Years of service | 1989–1992 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Military advocate |
| Criminal information | |
| Movement | 2024 martial law |
| Convictions | |
| Criminal penalty | 7 years imprisonment[1] |
Date apprehended | 1 August 2025[2] |
Lee Sang-min (Korean: 이상민; born 10 November 1964) is a South Korean lawyer and a former judge who served as the Minister of the Interior and Safety from 12 May 2022 until his resignation on 8 December 2024.[3][4] He is best known for his involvement in the 2024 South Korean martial law declaration. On 12 February 2026, Lee was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for his role in the declaration.
As a minister of the MoIS, he was responsible for regional development, administrative innovation and public safety. He was recognized as one of the most powerful people in Yoon Suk Yeol's administration. However, after the 2022 Seoul Halloween crowd crush, he had to offer an official apology to the victims, although the crush had occurred at a private festival place in Itaewon on Halloween.[5] On 9 February 2023, he was impeached by the National Assembly, where opposition party was overwhelmingly in the majority regarding the disaster. He was succeeded by his deputy Han Chang-seob in an acting capacity.[6] He would return to office after the Constitutional Court of Korea rejected his impeachment with a unanimous conclusion on 25 July 2023. The court announced that the crush was not just caused by specific person or sole reason, but was the result of the lack in total capacity of countermeasure in the public sector. As a result, he maintained his position and remained in power for more than 870 days until his resignation.[7]
