Protesters stormed a South Korean court after it extended Yoon’s detention By Reuters
By Joyce Lee and Ju-min Park
SEOUL (Reuters) – Hundreds of supporters of jailed South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol stormed a court building early on Sunday after he was extradited, smashing windows and breaking into the interior, an attack the country’s acting leader called “unthinkable”.
On Wednesday, Yoon became the first South Korean president to remain in jail as he faces treason charges related to his dramatic, short-lived Dec. 3 of martial law that has plunged the country into political chaos.
Shortly after the court announced its decision around 03:00 (1800 GMT) on Sunday, Yoon’s supporters poured into the building, swarming with riot police to try to stop them.
Protesters set off fire extinguishers at the police line guarding the front gate, then swarmed inside, destroying office equipment, fixtures and furniture, photos showed.
The police restored peace a few hours later, saying they had arrested 46 protesters and vowed to hunt down others involved.
“The government deeply regrets the illegal violence…which is unthinkable in a democratic society,” Acting President Choi Sang-mok said in a statement, adding that authorities would tighten security at the gatherings.
Nine police officers were injured in the riot, Yonhap news agency reported. The police were not available to comment on the injured officers.
About 40 people were slightly injured, said a spokesman for emergency services near the Seoul Western District Court.
Several of those involved live-streamed the entry on YouTube, showing protesters storming the courthouse and chanting Yoon’s name. Some broadcasters were caught by the police while broadcasting.
WORRYING YOU CAN MAKE IT PROVIDE EVIDENCE
With Yoon refusing to be questioned, investigators facing a deadline to detain the deposed president asked the court on Friday to extend his detention.
After a five-hour hearing on Saturday, which Yoon attended, the judge issued a warrant to extend Yoon’s detention for up to 20 days, due to “concerns that the suspect may destroy evidence”.
South Korean law requires that a suspect arrested under a warrant undergo a physical examination, have his gun confiscated and wear a prison uniform.
The leader is being held in solitary confinement at the Seoul Detention Center.
The office that investigates the corruption of senior officials, which is the one leading the investigation, said that it had called Yoon to investigate him on Sunday afternoon, but the prosecutor who has become the president did not come again. The CIO said he would ask Yoon to be investigated on Monday.
His lawyers said the arrest was illegal because the warrant was issued in the wrong place and the investigative team did not have the authority to investigate.
Treason, the crime Yoon may be charged with, is one of the few that South Korea’s president cannot defend against and is technically punishable by death. However, South Korea has not executed anyone in nearly 30 years.
Yoon said through his lawyers that he found the incident of violence in court “shocking and sad”, asking people to express their views peacefully.
“The president said… he will not give up and he will correct the mistake, even if it takes time,” the lawyers said in a statement. Saying that he understands that many feel “angry and unfair”, Yoon called on the police to adopt a “position of tolerance”.
Separate from the criminal investigation that sparked the uproar on Sunday, the Constitutional Court is debating whether to permanently remove him from office, in line with a parliamentary impeachment on December 14, or restore his presidential powers.
POLITICAL PARTIES MEASURE
Yoon’s conservative People Power Party called the court’s decision to extend his detention on Sunday “a great sadness”.
“There is a question as to whether the results of the arrest of the sitting president have been sufficiently investigated,” the group said in a statement.
The opposition Democratic Party said the decision was a “cornerstone” to rebuild order and that “riots” by “right-wing” groups would deepen the country’s crisis.
Support for the PPP crumbled after his declaration of martial law, which he withdrew hours later in the face of a single vote in parliament rejecting it.
But in the turmoil since – when the opposition-majority parliament reinstated him and investigators thwarted the first attempt to arrest Yoon – support for the PPP has grown stronger.
His party has overtaken the opposition Democratic Party in terms of support – 39% to 36% – for the first time since August, a Gallup Korea poll showed on Friday.
Thousands gathered in an organized rally in support of Yoon in downtown Seoul on Sunday morning. Anti-Yoon protests have also taken place across the city in recent days.
