Seobu District Court Defendant in Rampage "Committed Crime Shocked by Fraudulent Election... Requests Leniency"

As the trial for the 63 individuals first indicted in the Seobu District Court disturbance case concluded, trials for those additionally indicted also proceeded. One of the defendants requested leniency, claiming that they committed the crime after being shocked by the fraudulent election and the impeachment crisis of President Yoon Seok-yeol.

Yonhap News

On the afternoon of the 19th, the Seoul Seobu District Court Criminal Division 1 (Presiding Judge Park Ji-won) held the first trial for two defendants charged with special trespassing and damage to special public property.

They are accused of breaking into the Seobu District Court in the early morning of January 19, when an arrest warrant for President Yoon was issued, pushing police officers and obstructing official duties.

The defense attorney for defendant Nam acknowledged all the prosecution's allegations, including damaging the court's exterior walls and windows and breaking a picture frame hanging on the wall, but requested leniency. The attorney stated, "The defendant was a member of the election monitoring group called the Anti-Fraud Election Committee and actively participated as an early voting observer, showing more concern about election fraud than others," and added, "He was so shocked by seeing that even the president's human rights were not protected that he was almost mentally incapacitated."

Nam’s defense attorney said, "We acknowledge that damaging court property was wrong," but added, "We should not just ask for leniency verbally, so please carefully review the prepared reference materials."

Defendant Choi, who was tried alongside Nam, was indicted on charges of entering the court with multiple unidentified individuals, pushing police officers, and breaking the glass of the duty room. Choi’s defense attorney said, "We have not yet reviewed the evidence records," and "We will clarify the admission of the charges later."

The attorney also raised an issue with the case being handled by the Seobu District Court bench where the incident occurred, stating, "We will apply for a transfer of jurisdiction to the Seoul High Court."

The court plans to hold the second trial for Nam and Choi on the morning of the 9th of next month.