Head of Court Administration Visits Western District Court: "All Matters Must Be Resolved Within Judicial Procedures" (Comprehensive)

"First Time in 30 Years as a Judge,
Various Measures Being Considered"

Cheon Dae-yeop, Chief of the Supreme Court Administrative Office, visited the Seoul Western District Court on the 19th, where a group of supporters of President Yoon Seok-yeol had broken in, and expressed his "deep sorrow," saying, "Please deeply understand that everything must be resolved within the judicial procedures prescribed by the Constitution to protect our country."

Cheon, who leads the Administrative Office under the Supreme Court, told reporters after inspecting the site at the Seoul Western District Court that morning, "The damage to court property and the situation on site are ten to twenty times more devastating than I had imagined or seen on TV."

On the same morning, Cheon held an emergency countermeasure meeting at the Supreme Court to assess the damage and discuss court security measures related to the intrusion incident at the Seoul Western District Court before visiting the site.

Cheon reported that damage was confirmed not only on the first floor of the court building, where visitors come and go, but also on the upper floors, including the 5th and 6th floors, where judges and court officials work. It is said that no injuries to court staff have been confirmed yet.

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He stated, "In my 30 years as a judge, I could neither have anticipated nor experienced such a situation. This is a complete denial of the rule of law and a serious criminal offense under criminal law," adding, "Although public opinion is highly divided, ranging from martial law to impeachment, everything must be resolved within judicial procedures."

Cheon explained, "The judiciary must ensure that under any circumstances, citizens do not face inconvenience in restoring their rights through court proceedings," and added, "From this afternoon through the night, we are checking whether normal operations can proceed tomorrow."

He continued, "The rule of law can only function properly if judges can conduct trials independently and confidently without threats to their personal safety," and added, "We are taking various measures to ensure the safety of judges."

When asked about the situation of Chief Judge Cha Eun-kyung, who issued the arrest warrant for President Yoon, he said, "We are maintaining contact," and reported that there are no health issues so far.