Supporters of accused South Korean president storm Seoul court after jail term extended
A South Korean court on Sunday extended the jail term of impeached President Yun Suk-yeol by 20 days, sparking violent protests where hundreds of angry supporters stormed the court building, breaking windows and breaking in.
Yoon became South Korea’s first sitting president when he was arrested last week on sedition charges related to the dramatic and short-lived martial law that plunged the country into political turmoil.
Shortly after the court’s decision was announced at 3am on Sunday, supporters flooded the building, trying to prevent riot police from reaching them.
Footage shows protesters detonating fire extinguishers at lines of police guarding the front entrance, destroying office furniture and furniture before storming inside.
After a few hours, the police, who restored peace, said that they had arrested 46 protesters so far.
In a statement, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said, “We will prosecute to the end those who commit or instigate and assist illegal acts.”
About 40 minor injuries were reported during the commotion, but no serious injuries, according to an emergency responder near the courthouse.
Yun could ‘destroy evidence,’ the court said.
South Korean investigators refused to request a request to extend Yoon’s detention or release him within 48 hours, and asked a court in Seoul on Friday to extend his detention.
After a five-hour trial on Saturday attended by Yoon, the Seoul Western District Court chose to accept the investigators’ request “out of concern that the suspect may destroy evidence,” the court said in a statement.
Under the new warrant, Yon could be jailed for up to 20 days. South Korean law requires a suspect arrested on a warrant to undergo a physical examination, be photographed, and wear a prison uniform.
He is expected to remain in isolation at the Seoul Detention Center.
Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been arrested and questioned by authorities in connection with a criminal assault investigation. He said he was only cooperating with what he called an illegal investigation to prevent violence. An estimated 3,000 police officers were deployed to Yon’s presidential compound, bringing wire cutters and ladders.
“President Eun Suk-yeol and our legal team will never give up,” the lawyers, who dismissed the criminal investigation, said in a statement.
“We will do everything we can to correct the error in future judicial proceedings,” the lawyers said, adding that the chaos in the courtroom was “sad”.
The UN’s conservative People Power Party (PPP) called the court’s decision “very unfortunate”.
In a statement, the party said, “There is a question whether the consequences of imprisoning those sitting in the presidency have been adequately considered.”
But the main opposition Democratic Party described the approval of the court order as a cornerstone for rebuilding order and said that “violence” by “far-right” groups was only exacerbating the national crisis.
Support for the PPP collapsed after the UN martial law declaration, which was unanimously overturned hours later by a vote of rejection by parliament. Lawmakers impeached Yoon on December 14, suspending his presidential powers.
South Korean investigators left the official residence of impeached President Yun Suk-yeol on Friday after rebuffing attempts to arrest him in a six-hour standoff. Jeremy Chan, senior analyst for China and Northeast Asia at Eurasia Group, said he was ‘very concerned’ about the state of democracy in South Korea.
But in the turmoil since – the opposition-majority parliament impeached his first successor and investigators made their first attempt to arrest Yeon – support for the PPP has grown dramatically again.
His party led the opposition Democratic Party by 39 percent to 36 percent — the first time since August, a Gallup Korea poll showed on Friday.
Denying accusations that he orchestrated the uprising, Yun has so far been stonewalled by the Office of High-Level Corruption Investigations.
The lawyers argued that the arrest warrant was issued under the wrong jurisdiction and the investigative team did not have the authority to investigate.
Sedition, the crime for which Yoon could be charged, is one of the few for which South Korea’s president does not have immunity and is technically punishable by death. But South Korea hasn’t executed anyone in nearly 30 years.
Unlike the criminal investigation that sparked Sunday’s riots, the country’s Constitutional Court is debating whether to file charges and permanently oust Yoon or reinstate him.
