Controversial pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon has been charged with inciting a riot at the Seoul Western District Court last year by supporters of former President Yoon Suk Yeol who were infuriated over his arrest.
Officials at the Seoul Western District Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday they had prosecuted Jeon on charges of instigating the intrusion of the building, and special obstruction of public duty, which refers to the crime committed via threat of collective force or dangerous weapon.
Jeon is believed to have encouraged Yoon's supporters to attack the courthouse on Jan 19, 2025, which left nearly 100 police officers and civilians injured. The violent protest occurred after the Western Court issued an arrest warrant for the then-president, as part of a criminal investigation linked to his Dec. 3 imposition of martial law.
The short-lived martial law declaration was ruled illegal by the Constitutional Court when it confirmed Yoon's impeachment, and was deemed an act of insurrection in a recent ruling against former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.
The prosecution believes that Jeon, the founder of the Sarang Jeil Church and an influential figure in the conservative block, urged Yoon supporters to attack the court. This included his comment during a protest that, "People's right to resist must be invoked to punish anti-state powers."
He is also accused of violating the law in leading a protest move toward the Western Court on Jan. 18 last year, a day before the attack, and illegally occupying the roads in front of the court.
The same Seoul Western District Court will carry out the trial against Jeon. He has been in custody since the court issued a warrant for his arrest on Jan. 13.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
