Two Involved in 'Western District Court Disturbance' Sentenced to Prison and Taken Into Custody on Appeal

Court: "Serious Undermining of the Rule of Law"

After the arrest of former President Yoon Suk-yeol in January last year, individuals who participated in breaking into the Seoul Western District Court and causing a disturbance were sentenced to prison terms and taken into custody in the courtroom on appeal as well.

On July 9, the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Western District Court (Presiding Judge Ban Jeongwoo) sentenced Mr. Kim (35), who had been indicted without detention on charges including special destruction of public property, to one year and two months in prison. Mr. Lim (59), who had also been indicted without detention for charges including special trespassing of a building, was sentenced to one year and four months in prison. Both had previously received sentences of one year and six months in prison at the first trial.

On the early morning of January 19 last year, as President Yoon Suk-yeol was arrested on charges of leading an insurrection, supporters stormed the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo-gu, Seoul. The next day, a fallen signboard at the back gate of the Western District Court in Mapo-gu, Seoul, was left unattended. Photo by Jo Yongjun

Mr. Kim was prosecuted for illegally entering the Seoul Western District Court building on January 19 last year, immediately after former President Yoon's arrest, and breaking a window in the duty office. Mr. Lim was indicted for entering the court premises and building, and assaulting a police officer, in protest of the issuance of an arrest warrant for former President Yoon.

The court stated regarding Mr. Kim, "Participants in the rally forcibly opened the back gate of the court, which was under police control, entered the court premises and the building, and broke the duty office window," adding, "Civil servants experienced fear to the extent that their lives felt threatened." The court then revoked Mr. Kim’s bail and ordered his immediate detention in the courtroom.

Regarding Mr. Lim, the court said, "Under the pretext of protesting the issuance of the arrest warrant for former President Yoon, he entered the first floor of the court building and, together with others, assaulted a police officer," and added, "The degree of physical force used cannot be considered minor." Although the court took into account that Mr. Lim admitted to the crime during the appeal and deposited 2 million won for the victimized police officer, it still judged there was a flight risk and ordered his immediate detention in the courtroom.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.