"Securitiesman Fired for Unauthorized Absence, Is It Your Company?"... Stir Over West District Court Riot Suspect's Detention and Prosecution

Bond Broker and Securities Firm Employee Indicted for Riot Incident
Yeouido in Turmoil... Unrelated Company Mistakenly Identified

A man in his 30s from Yeouido, a Seoul National University graduate working in securities, was reportedly arrested and indicted for participating in the Seoul Western District Court riot incident. The employee was forcibly dismissed from the securities firm he worked for, and as this news spread quickly, the Yeouido securities district was once briefly stirred.

According to the financial investment industry and police on the 23rd, bond broker Mr. A, a Seoul National University graduate, was included among the 63 people indicted for the Seoul Western District Court riot. The employee has already been forcibly dismissed.

Mr. B, an employee of a securities firm who was in charge of bond brokerage, was also arrested and indicted for the same incident. Mr. B recently was absent without leave and unreachable, leading to his forced dismissal as well.

Supporters of President Yoon Seok-yeol who trespassed over the court fence at the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo-gu, Seoul, during the suspect detention hearing (warrant review) held on January 18 were detained by the police. Photo by Yonhap News

As a result, rumors about the employee’s identity, the company he worked for, and his duties spread rapidly within the industry. On social networking services (SNS), posts circulated stating, “A well-known securities broker in Yeouido was forcibly dismissed after unauthorized absence, with the reason being arrest as a participant in the Western District Court riot.”

During this process, false rumors also spread, and an unrelated company was mistakenly identified as the employee’s workplace, causing misunderstandings and difficulties.

Earlier, on the 19th of last month, when an arrest warrant was issued for President Yoon Seok-yeol, some supporters broke into the Seoul Western District Court, damaging property and attempting arson. In response, the Western District Prosecutors’ Office arrested and indicted 62 people on the 10th for involvement in the riot, and one person was indicted without detention.

Due to the large number of defendants, the trials for the 63 indicted individuals are scheduled to be held separately on March 10 (24 people), March 17 (20 people), and March 19 (19 people).