One of court attackers was a missionary of controversial far-right pastor: report

One of the men arrested for the attack against Seoul Western District Court on Sunday was a missionary who worked under controversial far-rght pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon of the Sarang Jeil Church, local media outlets reported Thursday.

The man, surnamed Lee, was among the 87 people arrested in relation to the violence at the courthouse, which left scores of police officers and civilians injured and inflicted an estimated 600 to 700 million won ($414,000~$483,000) worth of property damage.

He was among those who went up to the seventh floor of the court, kicking at the office doors of judges who handle warrants.

The attack came after the western court issued a warrant for the continued detention of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is being investigated for criminal charges of insurrection and power abuse.

The accusations against him are related to the martial law declaration on Dec. 3 and his subsequent orders, which allegedly include orders for major Yoon opponents and political figures to be arrested.

In a separate court case involving Lee, he was described by Seoul Southern District Court as a "special missionary" of the church. His current affiliation with Jeon is not clear as of now.

The Sarang Jeil Church said via an official statement that Lee does not have an official post or is on the church's payroll.

"We'd like to stress that Sarang Jeil Church has not induced a certain situation or got involved with the recent disgraceful incident (at the court)," the church said.

The Presbyterian church has been under controversy for its far-right political views and activities, with the founding Pastor Jeon being one of the most vocal supporters of Yoon. Hours after the recent court attack, he told his followers that "We've already exercised the public's right to resist" and said, "it is possible to take Yoon out of detention."

In a YouTube live broadcast on Jan. 16, he mentioned the recent apparent suicide of a man near the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, who set himself on fire on Jan. 15 in what is thought to be an act of protest against Yoon's arrest the same day.

After mentioning the incident, Jeon said, "I've received several messages of people saying 'I'm ready to give my life.' This is not the time. I'll give you the chance to die, but we must wait for the time for a more effective death.”