Conflict Between Incheon District Court and Security Company Staff
Conservative Group Members Also Gather
The court attempted a forced execution on the 17th against the existing operator who did not return the 'Sky72' golf course land to Incheon International Airport Corporation, resulting in a clash with the tenant's security company employees. During this process, fire extinguishers were sprayed, and intense confrontations ensued with swearing and shouting.
On the morning of the 17th, a forced eviction was carried out at Sky72 Golf Course in Unseo-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon. When the court enforcement officers tried to leave the golf course, representatives from the Sky72 tenants blocked their way. Photo by Gonghang Photojournalists Group
The Incheon District Court Enforcement Office began the forced execution for land delivery around 8 a.m. at the 'Sky72 Golf Club' on Yeongjongdo Island, Jung-gu, Incheon. Enforcement officers tried to enter the interior at the entrance of the Sea Course (54 holes) within the Sky72 golf course. The facility tenants hired about 500 security company employees to resist the forced execution, leading to physical clashes.
After about an hour and 30 minutes of chaos, around 9:35 a.m., when the enforcement officers attempted to enter the golf course again, fire extinguishers and water cannons were sprayed once more. The enforcement officers tried to enter the clubhouse building within the Sea Course, but when the door was locked, they moved to the golf course holes and proceeded with the forced execution. Even afterward, enforcement officers and security company employees engaged in physical fights across various parts of the golf course field.
An official from the Enforcement Office declared the execution complete for the Sea Course 54 holes around 10:05 a.m. The tenants said, "The forced execution cannot be ended," blocking the enforcement officers and causing another clash.
A court enforcement official said, "Since the plaintiff won the judgment, the debtor must rightfully hand over the (golf course) land to the plaintiff," adding, "We came to enforce the land delivery, and the tenants' legitimate possession rights will be protected." On the other hand, Lee Seong-hee, a legal representative from the law firm Cheongo representing the tenants, argued, "It is unreasonable to carry out forced execution just because the ownership of the golf course changed," and claimed, "The new operator said they would take over employment, but there has been no actual contact from the operator or Incheon International Airport Corporation."
Members of the conservative group ‘Korea Righting Citizens’ Movement Headquarters’ also gathered near the entrance of the Sea Course that day. They held a rally with signs reading ‘Illegal Forced Execution’ and claimed there was bid-rigging in the selection process of the new Sky72 operator. The police, responding to the court's cooperation request, deployed about 250 officers, including riot police, near the golf course in preparation for any incidents.
On the morning of the 17th, at the entrance of the Sky72 Golf Course Sea Course in Unseo-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon, members of a conservative group raising suspicions of bid rigging and tenants of the Sky72 facility are blocking the access road. As the enforcement officer stepped onto the access road, protest participants sprayed fire extinguishers to block the entry. Photo by Gonghang Photojournalists Group
The court had earlier initiated forced execution after the Supreme Court finalized a ruling in favor of Incheon Airport Corporation in the ‘Real Estate Delivery Lawsuit’ against the existing golf course operator, Sky72 Co., Ltd. Since the Supreme Court's decision was confirmed, Sky72 must hand over the golf course land to Incheon Airport Corporation, but it had not complied until recently.
Sky72 claimed it could not hand over the golf course land until the results of the prosecution's investigation into the selection of the subsequent operator were released and continued to accept reservations from users until recently.
The existing operator, Sky72, leased land owned by Incheon Airport Corporation, the planned site for the construction of Incheon Airport’s 5th runway, in 2005, built the golf course and clubhouse, and operated it. Incheon Airport Corporation and Sky72 set the contract termination date as December 31, 2020, when the 5th runway would be constructed, but since the runway construction was delayed, they engaged in a legal dispute for over two years.
In September 2020, Incheon Airport Corporation held a public bid to select a new golf course operator, and ‘KMH Shilla Leisure’ (now KX Group) was chosen as the new operator.
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