Court releases report on Sunday's riot, does not rule out insurrection charges against protesters

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Court releases report on Sunday's riot, does not rule out insurrection charges against protesters

Supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol rally in front of the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo District, western Seoul, as the court holds a hearing to review an arrest warrant for Yoon on Jan. 18. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol rally in front of the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo District, western Seoul, as the court holds a hearing to review an arrest warrant for Yoon on Jan. 18. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

 
An internal court report detailing the play-by-play actions of President Yoon Suk Yeol's supporters while they were storming the Seoul Western District Court on Sunday was disclosed on Monday.  
 
The report, obtained by liberal Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Seo Young-kyo on Monday, contains a detailed timeline compiled by the Supreme Court-affiliated National Court Administration. 
 

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According to the report, Yoon supporters vandalized windows and office fixtures while searching for the judge who issued an arrest warrant for the president.
 
Early Sunday, senior judge of Seoul Western District Court Cha Eun-kyung issued an arrest warrant for Yoon and instructed court staff to hand over the physical warrant and investigation records to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) just before getting off work.
 
At 2:53 a.m., the CIO received the warrant and records. Six minutes later, the arrest warrant issuance was made public via media outlets.
 
At 3:07 a.m., enraged supporters who learned of the warrant through news reports breached police barricades and entered the court premises. By 3:21 a.m., they smashed windows with police shields they had seized and entered the building.
 
The supporters destroyed office fixtures and attempted to locate the judge who issued the warrant.
 
"It has been confirmed that [the supporters] reached the seventh floor, where only the warrant judge's office was specifically damaged and entered, suggesting they may have come with specific knowledge of this," Supreme Court Justice Chun Dae-yup, also Minister of the National Court Administration, said during a National Assembly judiciary committee on Monday morning.  
 
The supporters did not reach Cha’s office because it was on a floor different from the warrant judge’s office.  
 
As the supporters stormed the building, about 10 court staff members tried to block the entrance with vending machines and other items on the first floor. When they were overwhelmed, they evacuated to the rooftop, activating some firewalls in the process.
 
Around 24 to 25 staff members barricaded the rooftop door with chairs and waited for about an hour.
 
Police entered the court building at 3:32 a.m., subdued the intruders and began making arrests.
 
The police ramp up security at the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo District, western Seoul, following the issuance of an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Jan. 19. [NEWS1]

The police ramp up security at the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo District, western Seoul, following the issuance of an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Jan. 19. [NEWS1]

 
After dispersing the protesters, court staff moved to a second basement-level utility room to prepare for potential secondary intrusions by cutting off the power supply if necessary.
 
The court situation was fully resolved by 5:15 a.m., though some protesters remained outside, clashing with police until 7:28 a.m.
 
While there were no physical injuries from the destruction, court staff on night duty reported significant psychological trauma, according to the National Court Administration.
 
The estimated property damage is between 600 and 700 million won ($413,700 and $482,650), including broken exterior finishes, windows, shutters, CCTV storage devices, access control systems, desks and damaged art installations.
 
The court deployed around 50 workers to clean and organize the building on Sunday and resumed normal operations on Monday. Entry restrictions were tightened, requiring case numbers and explicit visit purposes for access. General civil service consultations are suspended until Friday.
 
The Supreme Court convened an emergency meeting of justices to address the incident on Monday. Following the meeting, Chun reported the details and results to the National Assembly judiciary committee.
 
Asked by DP Rep. Jung Chung-rae whether the court would pursue damages against the supporters, Chun said that "several justices emphasized the need for thorough accountability," adding that this likely includes "all individuals involved in the illegal actions."
 
Chun described the behavior of the supporters as "illegal violence that could be considered coercive" with an intent to obstruct judicial authority. When Jung asked if insurrection charges could be applied, Chun said, “There is room for such an assessment.”  
 
“It is difficult to make a definitive statement, as we are the adjudicating body and must rely on investigative agencies to conduct thorough investigations,” said Chun.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]
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