South Korea jails two over courthouse riot linked to ex-president
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Two men have been sentenced over a violent courthouse riot in Seoul following the detention of ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol.
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Supporters of South Korea's ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol stand to call for the cancellation of his removal in front of the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, on April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
A South Korean court handed two men jail terms Wednesday for their role in a January riot which saw supporters of impeached ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol attack a court building.
Protesters stormed the Seoul Western District Court in January this year after a judge extended the detention of Yoon, South Korea's first sitting head of state to be arrested, over his brief imposition of martial law.
The protesters used fire extinguishers to break doors and smash windows, entering the court building and vandalising it, also attacking police officers at the scene.
Seoul's Western District Court sentenced two men, identified only by their surnames, Kim, 35, and So, 28, to one year and six months and one year in prison, respectively, a court spokesperson told AFP. The case marked a rare act of political violence against the country’s judiciary, which experts warn reflects deepening polarisation following Yoon’s attempt to override civilian authority in December.
In a statement after the ruling was delivered, the court said: "The overall outcome of the crime was devastating." The men interpreted the South Korean judiciary's decision as a "political conspiracy" and were driven by "obsession" to carry out "immediate retaliation".
Yoon had become a "lame duck" president after the opposition Democratic Party secured a majority in the parliamentary elections in April of the previous year.
Yoon's martial law declaration
In his televised address declaring martial law, Yoon railed against "anti-state elements plundering people's freedom and happiness", and his office later described the move as an effort to overcome legislative gridlock.
Following his declaration, he gained support from extreme religious leaders and right-wing YouTubers, many of whom have been linked to the January courthouse riot. He has also been accused of tacitly encouraging the violence.
Yoon, ousted from office earlier last month by the Constitutional Court, had recently moved into his previous home in Seoul's Seocho district following the fallout from his December 3 martial law declaration. The court ruling stripped him of all powers and privileges.
According to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, the raid was connected to ongoing inquiries into alleged ties between Yoon's family and a controversial shaman named Jeon Seong-bae.
