Supreme Court Meeting: "'Seobu District Court Attack' a Serious Crime Threatening the Foundation of the Constitution"

"An Act That Directly Denies the Rule of Law"

Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae is moving to attend a meeting of Supreme Court justices at the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 20th to discuss measures to resolve the Seoul Western District Court intrusion and illegal occupation incident. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

On the morning of the 20th, Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae convened an emergency meeting of the Supreme Court justices to discuss measures to resolve the violence at the Western Seoul District Court. The justices described the incident as "a very serious criminal act that threatens the foundation of the constitutional order."

In a statement released during the meeting, the justices said, "This unprecedented event in constitutional history is an attempt to directly undermine the functions of the judiciary and is absolutely unacceptable." They emphasized, "The court is the last bastion that maintains social order by allowing independent judges to peacefully resolve disputes through trials in accordance with the Constitution and laws. Attacking the court with violent means without following proper procedures simply because of dissatisfaction with trial outcomes is an act that directly denies the rule of law."

They also added, "Such violence not only paralyzes the judiciary but also disrupts the normal functioning of the entire state, ultimately causing serious obstacles to the protection of citizens' fundamental rights." The justices stated, "The court will cooperate with related agencies such as the police to strengthen security at the courthouse and will take all possible measures to ensure that judges and court officials can safely perform their duties without being shaken by any external pressure."

According to the 'Progress Report on the Western Seoul District Court Incident' by the Court Administration Office, around 3:07 a.m. the previous day, supporters of President Yoon broke through the police barricades and entered the court premises. The supporters broke the main gate and glass windows with shields and plastic chairs taken from the police, entered the court building, damaged various fixtures, and even climbed up to the 7th floor to break into the office of the judge in charge of warrants.