Violence and incitement strike court building
Posted January. 20, 2025 08:15,
Updated January. 20, 2025 08:15
Violence and incitement strike court building.
January. 20, 2025 08:15.
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When an arrest warrant was issued for President Yoon Suk Yeol at the Seoul Western District Court early Sunday morning, Yoon’s supporters, who had gathered in front of the court, broke into the building and went on a rampage. The attack on the court, the last bastion of the rule of law, was unprecedented in the country's constitutional history. Later that afternoon, protesters attempted to regroup at the Constitutional Court, which is hearing the president's impeachment case.
The violence that erupted at the Seoul Western District Court on the day is almost unbelievable, especially considering it took place in the heart of the capital of a model emerging democracy. Around 3:00 a.m., after news broke that an arrest warrant had been issued for President Yoon, hundreds of his supporters broke through the police cordon, climbed over the courthouse fence, and stormed the building. They smashed glass windows and damaged exterior walls using equipment taken from the police and steel supplies, such as fire extinguishers, found at the scene.
The mob's target was the judge who issued the arrest warrant. “Let's find the warrant judge,” they shouted as they stormed into the courthouse, damaging the 5th and 6th floors, where the judge's office was located. The judge could have avoided an unfortunate situation since she had already left the building. Who would have thought that courts and judges could be attacked in the middle of Seoul—one of the safest cities in the world—an event more often experienced in developing regions such as South America?
The person who bears the greatest responsibility for the violence unleashed by Yoon’s supporters is the president. The president has faced criticism for encouraging protests against his arrest by referring his supporters as “patriotic citizens” and praising their “passionate patriotism” during a demonstration at his residence. However, in a statement later that day, President Yoon urged them to “express their opinions in a peaceful way” and called on the police to be “more tolerant than tough.” This statement appeared to shift blame for the supporters’ violence onto the police, criticizing their heavy-handedness. This is the same president who has labeled illegal strikes and protests as “cartels” and demanded a hardline response to them.
Foreign news outlets reported the unprecedented detention of a sitting president and the accompanying court disturbances as breaking news. Just a month ago, when martial law was swiftly overturned by the National Assembly, foreign media praised the “resilience of Korean democracy.” However, the armed confrontation with the police during the execution of the president's arrest warrant, followed by the court attack, has raised concerns about the country's stature and credibility.
한국어
When an arrest warrant was issued for President Yoon Suk Yeol at the Seoul Western District Court early Sunday morning, Yoon’s supporters, who had gathered in front of the court, broke into the building and went on a rampage. The attack on the court, the last bastion of the rule of law, was unprecedented in the country's constitutional history. Later that afternoon, protesters attempted to regroup at the Constitutional Court, which is hearing the president's impeachment case.
The violence that erupted at the Seoul Western District Court on the day is almost unbelievable, especially considering it took place in the heart of the capital of a model emerging democracy. Around 3:00 a.m., after news broke that an arrest warrant had been issued for President Yoon, hundreds of his supporters broke through the police cordon, climbed over the courthouse fence, and stormed the building. They smashed glass windows and damaged exterior walls using equipment taken from the police and steel supplies, such as fire extinguishers, found at the scene.
The mob's target was the judge who issued the arrest warrant. “Let's find the warrant judge,” they shouted as they stormed into the courthouse, damaging the 5th and 6th floors, where the judge's office was located. The judge could have avoided an unfortunate situation since she had already left the building. Who would have thought that courts and judges could be attacked in the middle of Seoul—one of the safest cities in the world—an event more often experienced in developing regions such as South America?
The person who bears the greatest responsibility for the violence unleashed by Yoon’s supporters is the president. The president has faced criticism for encouraging protests against his arrest by referring his supporters as “patriotic citizens” and praising their “passionate patriotism” during a demonstration at his residence. However, in a statement later that day, President Yoon urged them to “express their opinions in a peaceful way” and called on the police to be “more tolerant than tough.” This statement appeared to shift blame for the supporters’ violence onto the police, criticizing their heavy-handedness. This is the same president who has labeled illegal strikes and protests as “cartels” and demanded a hardline response to them.
Foreign news outlets reported the unprecedented detention of a sitting president and the accompanying court disturbances as breaking news. Just a month ago, when martial law was swiftly overturned by the National Assembly, foreign media praised the “resilience of Korean democracy.” However, the armed confrontation with the police during the execution of the president's arrest warrant, followed by the court attack, has raised concerns about the country's stature and credibility.
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