Broadcasters KBS, MBC vow action against protesters who attacked journalists at court
Published: 20 Jan. 2025, 16:40
![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]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/20/bfb736a9-602a-486e-bc10-af885984d503.jpg)
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]
Broadcasters MBC and KBS vowed to take stern action against protesters who assaulted and threatened journalists after storming the Seoul Western District Court on Sunday to protest the formal arrest of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol.
According to police and witnesses, some 100 protesters supporting Yoon began forcing their way into the court at around 3 a.m. Sunday, shortly after the court issued an arrest warrant for the president at 2:50 a.m.
These enraged supporters broke through police barricades blocking the back gate of the court, with some climbing over the courthouse walls.
They shattered windows and doors, entered the building and reportedly threw vases and ashtrays at police officers. Others physically assaulted officers and journalists while trying to seize police shields and broadcasting equipment.
Around 1,400 police officers were later dispatched to address the situation. Police said on Sunday that 87 protesters had been apprehended between Saturday and early Sunday, including 46 who were detained during the violent break-in on Sunday morning.
![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]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/20/ad58a905-a222-4920-a5c3-fefecca7ef45.jpg)
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]
“About 10 KBS journalists and assistants who were covering the case on site were repeatedly assaulted by protesters, and some of our equipment was destroyed,” said KBS in its press release on Monday.
"Targeting reporters and journalists, who report from sites and events on behalf of the public’s right to know, poses a serious threat to the media and directly challenges our Constitution and democracy.”
“We call on the authorities for strict investigation and punishment. We are also looking into taking legal measures against the assailants,” KBS added.
Major broadcaster MBC also vowed stern responses against the protesters who assaulted its journalists.
"This unprecedented incident, in which journalists were physically attacked and their broadcasting equipment confiscated, represents more than just an assault on one media organization; it is an attack on press freedom, a fundamental constitutional value,” MBC said on Monday.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok expressed "strong regret" over the incident on Sunday, calling it an "unimaginable act in a democratic society." He instructed relevant agencies to bolster security measures and ensure future rallies are conducted safely.
BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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