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Supporters of South Korea's ousted president stormed a court in Seoul on Sunday morning after a judge extended Yoon Suk Yeol's detention on charges of sedition and abuse of power.
More than 40,000 people gathered outside the Seoul District Court on Saturday evening in a show of support. Yoon as the investigators wanted to extend his detention. He was arrested on Wednesday in connection with a failed attempt to impose martial law last month.
After the judge issued an extension at 3 a.m., dozens of supporters broke through police barricades and stormed the building, according to South Korean police, smashing windows and doors and throwing fire extinguishers at officers guarding the court's entrance.
Police reinforcements eventually regained control of the building and nearly 90 people were arrested, according to local media reports.
The conflict is the latest chapter in the political turmoil sparked by Yoon's decision last month to send troops to the country's assembly as he tried to prevent lawmakers from rejecting his efforts to impose military rule in the east Asian country.
Yoon was suspended after the national assembly passed the impeachment motion with a two-thirds majority last month. But he has vowed to “fight to the end”, saying he is the victim of a conspiracy by leftwing and pro-North Korea forces.
Many of Yoon's supporters adopted the language of supporters of US president Donald Trump, carrying American flags and carrying English-language placards with the words “Stop stealing” – a reference to allegations of fraud in the 2020 US presidential election ahead of the storm. of the US Capitol by Trump supporters on January 6, 2021.
While his powers have been transferred to deputy prime minister Choi Sang-mok as acting president, Yoon remains South Korea's head of state as the country's Constitutional Court makes decisions on whether to accept impeachment or reinstate him.
Yoon was arrested and detained on Wednesday after standing for several hours at his hilltop location between his security detail and South Korea's Anti-Corruption Bureau investigators.
The president's legal team has repeatedly argued that the CIO does not have standing to investigate treason charges, and that the Seoul District Court does not have jurisdiction over his case. Both claims were rejected by South Korean judges.
According to the CIO, Yoon has refused to cooperate with investigators since his arrest on Wednesday. The extended warrant means he can be held for questioning for another 20 days, during which time he may be held in solitary confinement because of his status as head of state.
Sok Dong-hyeon, Yoon's lawyer, posted on Facebook on Sunday morning that he found the court's decision “difficult to understand”. But he asked the president's supporters to “not go too far” as “they could be caught in a targeted attack or in an attack against leftist forces.”