Supporters of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stormed a Seoul court Sunday after a judge extended the impeached leader’s imprisonment over his ill-fated attempt to install martial law.
Tens of thousands of people gathered outside Seoul Western District Court on Saturday to demonstrate their support for Yoon, South Korea’s first sitting head of state seized in a dawn raid this week.
After the court extended his detention at 3:00 a.m. (1800 GMT Saturday), the president’s supporters shattered windows and doors as they stormed inside the premises.
AFP journalists witnessed hundreds of police officers rush into the courtroom, arresting several and condemning an “intolerable illegal and violent incident.”.
South Korea’s political crisis has escalated since December 3, when President Yoon declared martial law and sent troops to parliament.
The attempt to suspend civilian rule was short-lived, as lawmakers voted against it.
The president was later impeached and suspended from duty. Despite facing a Constitutional Court ruling on his impeachment and a criminal investigation into insurgency, Yoon has vowed to fight until the end.
The Seoul court told AFP that there were concerns Yoon may destroy evidence if released, so investigators could hold him for another 20 days.
In a message sent through his attorneys on Friday, the president hailed his followers, particularly evangelical Christians and right-wing YouTubers, for their “passionate patriotism.”.
His supporters argue Yoon was right in declaring martial law because of electoral fraud in parliamentary elections won by the opposition last year, but they provide no evidence.
They frequently wave American flags and use the “stop the steal” rhetoric associated with US President-elect Donald Trump, whose supporters stormed Washington’s Capitol in an attempt to overturn his previous election setback.
Following the Seoul court incident, acting police chief Lee Ho-young stated that the force would “thoroughly investigate right-wing YouTubers if they were involved in this violent break-in.”.
Yoon’s lawyer, Seok Dong-hyeon, criticised the court judgement and warned the president’s supporters not to exacerbate the situation.
“This is likely not what President Yoon desires,” he said in a statement, adding that violence could also “create burdens” for the president’s future trials.
According to Yoo Jung-hoon, a lawyer and political columnist, attacking a court is “unprecedented” in South Korea, and those involved will likely face jail time.
The judge is expected to keep the president in prison due to evidence supporting the insurgency charges, and the court also considered Yoon’s attempts to destroy evidence as a head of state. Yoon was returned to prison on Saturday.
Yoon has been absent from the Constitutional Court’s probe into his impeachment. If the court rules against him, he will lose the presidency, and elections will be held within 60 days.
