On the 20th, Kwon Young-se, the chairman of the People’s Power Emergency Response Committee, addressed the incident where supporters of President Yoon Suk-yeol stormed the Seoul Western District Court. He stated, “Using violence to enforce one’s claims cannot be justified by any means.”
During a meeting held at the National Assembly, Chairman Kwon mentioned, “We understand the issues with the judicial process and the reasons behind the public’s anger very well. However, employing violent methods undermines one’s legitimacy and exacerbates societal chaos.”
He also criticized the Democratic Party and some media organizations, saying, “Without examining the reasons why citizens are angry, they label them as rioters and demand severe punishment. This is an attempt to silence opposing voices and to fuel political turmoil and conflict for their own gain.”
Regarding the police, Kwon remarked, “While they are endlessly lenient in front of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, they exhibit a strong stance only towards citizens.” He implied that the police were ordered not to release citizens detained outside the court and questioned, “If these were KCTU protesters, wouldn’t they have been released with just a warning?”
Kwon emphasized, “What we need now is not a frenzy-driven witch hunt but an accurate understanding of the sequence of events, identification of the facts, and overcoming national turmoil with a calm and mature approach. Our party should be careful with statements and actions to avoid being perceived as inciting or condoning violence.”
The previous day at around 2:50 a.m., after the news of the arrest warrant for President Yoon on charges including being the ringleader of a rebellion was announced, his supporters, who were protesting near the Western District Court, broke into the court using shields taken from the police, smashing the main gate and windows.
They vandalized various fixtures inside the courthouse, poured water onto the computer servers, and fired extinguishers at the police. They entered the offices of sitting judges, causing extensive damage, and went so far as to threaten Chief Judge Cha Eun-kyung, who issued the warrant, turning the court into a lawless area.
By around 6 a.m., the police had mostly subdued the protesters inside and outside the court. In this process, 45 people were arrested on charges including trespassing. Including the 40 arrested the previous day for climbing over the court fence, a total of 85 people were detained over the two days surrounding the warrant issuance.