Majority of the 90 Arrested Are in Their 20s and 30s
Claims Emerge That Police Incited the Western District Court Riot
The group 'Shin Namseong Yeondae,' which advocates anti-feminism, asked a YouTuber who filmed a video showing the face of a supporter of President Yoon Seok-yeol involved in violent acts during a break-in at the Seoul Western District Court to delete the video.
On the 19th, Bae In-gyu, the representative of Shin Namseong Yeondae, said on his YouTube channel, "Videos showing citizens' faces and videos of broken glass are all used as evidence," adding, "If the videos are used as evidence, all the citizens will be arrested, so YouTubers should take down the videos." He continued, "Many YouTubers filmed the citizens, but if their faces are shown, they will all be arrested," emphasizing, "Views are important, but it causes harm to those people." Representative Bae appears to be concerned that YouTube videos showing protesters involved in violent acts at the Western District Court will be used as police evidence.
On the 19th, Bae In-gyu, the representative of the Shin Namseong Solidarity, urged the removal of videos showing the faces and violent acts of rioters who participated in the "Western District Court Riot." YouTube channel "Shin Namseong Solidarity"
Furthermore, he posted a notice on YouTube communities stating, "The police response to the protests in the western area was excessively violent and unethical, which extremely provoked the emotions of the protesters," and claimed that the police's actions could be seen as intending to incite the anger of the rioters. He also said he found evidence that the police overlooked the rioters entering the Western District Court, describing it as "a planned act of complicity seemingly aimed at inducing riots for the purpose of imposing severe punishment afterward." Some members of the People Power Party have repeated the same claims. Representative Bae also said he would collect videos capturing police violence or provocation during the riot. He predicted, "These will be used as evidence of police misconduct and will play an important role in holding them accountable," and vowed to pressure the police who confronted the rioters.
Earlier, Representative Bae was one of ten people who said they would send Seollal gifts to YouTubers who were sued by the Democratic Party for 'incitement to rebellion' and other charges, as announced by Kwon Young-se, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party. The recipients reportedly include Shin Hye-sik of the 'Shinui Hansu' channel, Bae In-gyu of 'Shin Namseong Yeondae,' Gong Byung-ho of 'Gong Byung-ho TV,' Kim Seong-won of 'Ground C,' Kim Chae-hwan of 'Kim Chae-hwan's Sisaida,' Kim Sang-jin of 'Kim Sang-jin TV,' Bae Seung-hee, a lawyer, Go Seong-guk of 'Go Seong-guk TV,' Lee Bong-gyu of 'Lee Bong-gyu TV,' and Sung Chang-kyung of 'Sung Chang-kyung TV.' However, it is known that Kim Seong-won, the operator of the 'Ground C' channel, and lawyer Bae Seung-hee refused the gifts due to concerns about controversy.
After President Yoon Seok-yeol was arrested on charges of leading an insurrection, some supporters broke into the Seoul Western District Court, causing an illegal violent incident. On the morning of the 20th, a day after the event, police barricades remained damaged in front of the Western District Court in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun
Meanwhile, according to police announcements, an analysis of 90 people arrested at the Western District Court and the Constitutional Court on the 18th and 19th showed that more than half, 46 people (51%), were in their 20s and 30s. Among the 46 people arrested during the break-in at the Western District Court on the 19th alone, 26 were aged 30 or younger. Although the police did not specify the gender, comprehensive review of on-site videos suggests the majority were male. It is widely believed that these individuals were mobilized through male-dominated online communities and YouTube.
In particular, on far-right communities such as 'Ilgan Best Storage' (Ilbe) and galleries related to the People Power Party on DC Inside, posts like "If the judge conducts the trial terribly, should we just endure it? The people must change it," and "People in their 20s and 30s are first-time offenders and will be fined and released" are posted without filtering. Analysts say this structure is amplified and reproduced by right-wing YouTubers such as 'Shin Namseong Yeondae' and 'Ground C,' whose main subscriber base is men in their 20s and 30s. Meanwhile, the prosecution has formed a dedicated investigation team regarding the violent break-in at the Western District Court. A prosecution official stated, "We will work closely with the police to conduct a strict investigation, including arresting all major participants, and will do our best to ensure that appropriate punishments corresponding to the crimes are imposed, including seeking heavy sentences."
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