Protesters storm South Korean court as it extends impeached President Yoon’s detention

As soon arsenic the determination to widen Yoon’s detention was announced astir 3am (local time) connected Sunday, the protesters stormed the tribunal gathering and overwhelmed the constabulary and authorities to make a ruckus wrong the tribunal premises, destroying bureau instrumentality and furniture, Reuters reported.

Police arrested 46 protesters from the tract and were capable to reconstruct bid astatine the tribunal gathering which saw Yoon’s supporters swarming the building.

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stitchery extracurricular the Seoul Western District Court successful Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

According to the video footage, the constabulary unit which was guarding the beforehand entranceway of the tribunal faced protesters blasting occurrence extinguishers astatine them. The protesters past flooded wrong the tribunal premises, reportedly destroying bureau instrumentality and furniture.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police, successful a connection said, “We volition way down till the extremity much of those who committed amerciable acts oregon instigated and assisted.”

According to an exigency responder stationed adjacent the tribunal building, 40 insignificant injuries were reported during the chaos but nary superior wounded was reported.

During the tribunal hearing, Yoon was either acceptable to beryllium escaped wrong 48 hours oregon widen his detention, the South Korean investigators asked the tribunal to detain him for immoderate much clip arsenic helium had refused to beryllium questioned.

The Seoul Western District Court, which continued the proceeding for astir 5 hours and was attended by Yoon, opted to assistance the investigators’ petition owed to “concern that the fishy whitethorn destruct evidence,” the tribunal said, Reuters reported.