After the judge extended his prison term, Yoon’s supporters stormed the Seoul courthouse
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Supporters of South Korea’s ousted president stormed a court in Seoul early Sunday morning. A judge extended his prison term for violence and abuse of power.
More than 40,000 people gathered outside Seoul’s Western District Court on Saturday evening to show their support for Yoon as investigators sought to extend his jail term. He was arrested on Wednesday after a failed attempt to impose martial law last month.
After the judge granted the extension at 3 a.m. local time, dozens of supporters broke through police cordons and stormed the building, according to South Korean police, smashing windows and doors and throwing fire extinguishers at police officers guarding the court’s entrance.
Police reinforcements eventually took control of the building and arrested around 90 people, local media reported.
The clash is the latest chapter in an escalating political crisis that erupted last month as Yun tried to prevent lawmakers from rejecting his attempt to impose military rule in the East Asian country over his decision to send troops into the country’s National Assembly.
Yun was suspended after the National Assembly passed a two-thirds vote of impeachment last month. But he vowed to “fight to the end”, claiming he was the victim of a conspiracy by left-wing and pro-North Korean forces.
Many of Yeoin’s staunch supporters followed the language of US President Donald Trump’s followers, holding American flags and carrying cards reading “Stop Theft” in English — a reference to allegations of rigging in the 2020 US presidential election ahead of the race. US Capitol by Trump supporters January 6, 2021.
Yoon remains South Korea’s head of state as the country’s Constitutional Court debates whether to approve his resignation or return to office, with Vice Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok serving as acting president.
Yoon was arrested and detained on Wednesday after hours on the hill between his security detail and investigators from South Korea’s Corruption Investigation Bureau.
The president’s legal team has repeatedly argued that the CIO has no standing to investigate the rebellion case and that the Seoul Western District Court has no jurisdiction over it. Both claims were rejected by South Korean judges.
According to the CIO, Yun has refused to cooperate with investigators since his arrest on Wednesday. The extended warrant means that he can be remanded for questioning for an additional 20 days, during which time he can be remanded in solitary confinement due to his jurisdiction.
Yeon’s lawyer, Sek Dong-hyeon, found the court’s decision “hard to understand,” writing on his Facebook page Sunday morning. But the president’s supporters have urged them not to “go too far” as they could be caught in targeted attacks or counter-attacks by leftist forces.
