The 4th Eviction Enforcement at Sarangjeil Church Also Fails... "Concerns Over Clashes"

The third eviction enforcement at Seongbuk-gu Sarang Jeil Church was halted after about 7 hours. According to the police on the 26th, approximately 570 enforcement personnel from the Seoul Northern District Court attempted to carry out a forced eviction of the church facilities starting around 1 a.m., but withdrew around 8:30 a.m. due to resistance from the congregants. The photo shows the Sarang Jeil Church on that day. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] The eviction enforcement against Sarang Jeil Church in Jangwi-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul has once again failed.

The Seoul Northern District Court announced on the 19th that the 4th eviction enforcement scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on the same day at Sarang Jeil Church in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul was changed to 6 a.m. but then canceled.

The court reportedly made this decision out of concern that clashes between the believers protesting inside the church and the enforcement personnel could cause damage.

Sarang Jeil Church lost the first trial of the eviction lawsuit filed by the Jangwi 10 District Redevelopment Association, the real estate rights holder, in May last year. After forced demolition became possible, the association attempted eviction enforcement three times last year. However, all attempts were repeatedly thwarted due to the believers' resistance.

During the 3rd enforcement on November 26 last year, church officials strongly resisted by throwing Molotov cocktails and pouring flammable substances on themselves, causing the enforcement to be suspended after 7 hours. Several people were injured in the process. The police sent about 30 people, including church members and enforcement personnel involved in the violent incident, to the prosecution.