"No Help to Give, Just Use a Public Defender"…Lawyer's Sharp Rebuke to Protesters at Seobu District Court

"If the Defense Team Argues, a Heavy Sentence Is Inevitable," Lawyer Explains

A doctor-turned-lawyer is gaining attention for advising the rioters at the Seoul Western District Court to use public defenders.

A lawyer who was formerly a doctor is gaining attention for advising rioters at the Western District Court to use public defenders. Screenshot from the YouTube channel 'Kang Seongbeom TV'

On the 23rd, comedian-turned-YouTuber Kang Seongbeom uploaded a video titled "To the rioters, I speak with the conscience of a lawyer. Use public defenders" on his YouTube channel. The video featured Jeong Pilseung, a doctor-turned-lawyer from Woosung Law Firm, who mainly handles medical malpractice, administrative, and criminal cases.

Lawyer Jeong emphasized, "Some lawyers are boasting, saying 'I will defend you for free,' but I am not joking. Regardless of political stance, I speak with the conscience of a lawyer: just use public defenders." He continued, "In cases like this, you must go to court, kneel, and beg. You have to say, 'Your Honor, I must have been crazy that day.'" He warned, "However, lawyers interested in politics who offer free defense will definitely go to court and start arguing, 'The court should give you one last chance. Admit your mistakes yourselves. This is the people's right to resist. Isn't the court at fault?' Once their names appear in newspapers, the judgment will say, 'There is no sign of remorse, and they continue to make incomprehensible excuses, so a heavy sentence is inevitable.'"

Jeong added, "When such incidents happen, I secretly feel glad, thinking 'Finally, the stage is set.'" He said, "Usually, they come out with a name tag on their forehead, but the reason I stay quiet on this case is that there is nothing I can do." When Kang Seongbeom asked, "Would you defend them if you received about 100 million won?" Jeong immediately replied, "Yes. Thank you, client," jokingly.

President Yoon Seok-yeol was arrested on charges of leading an insurrection, and a day after some supporters broke into the Seoul Western District Court and caused an illegal violent incident, traces of damage remain at the Western District Court in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 20th. Photo by Jo Yong-jun

Meanwhile, the police have requested arrest warrants for a total of 69 participants who caused a disturbance at the Seoul Western District Court in protest of the issuance of an arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol. The police plan to form a special task force for the Western District Court intrusion incident and continue investigations during the Lunar New Year holiday starting on the 27th. They intend to track the identities of those involved, excluding the 90 people arrested on the spot during the riot, by reviewing CCTV footage and credit card usage records.

The defense team representing these individuals stated on the 26th, "The responsibility for the worsening Western District Court incident due to police incompetence and gross negligence should not be placed solely on the citizens and youth." They claimed, "Nine hours before the incident occurred, the police received numerous reports signaling the precursor to the event, but Acting Commissioner Lee Hoyoung of the National Police Agency either took no action or even reduced security personnel. This could constitute dereliction of duty. If the police had not cleared the way, it would have been difficult for the citizens and youth to enter the building in the first place."