The leader of the KakaoTalk open chat room 'MZ Jayugyeolsadae,' suspected of premeditating the riot at the Western District Court, has been arrested.
Supporters of former President Yoon Seok-yeol climbing over the wall at the Western District Court in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
On the 17th, Heo Jun-seo, the chief judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Western District Court, announced that he had issued an arrest warrant for a man in his 30s named Lee, who is accused of damaging special public property, following a detention hearing held at 10:30 a.m. the previous day. The warrant was issued due to concerns over evidence destruction and flight risk.
Lee is also accused of throwing a PET bottle filled with a beverage inside the court during the riot at the Western District Court on January 19.
Earlier, the police reportedly searched Lee's residence last month in connection with suspicions of conspiring to riot at the Western District Court and seized his mobile phone and laptop.
The MZ Jayugyeolsadae is a KakaoTalk open chat room established last December, mainly composed of young people who participated in protests against the impeachment of former President Yoon Seok-yeol. Since February, the police have been investigating whether the MZ Jayugyeolsadae conspired to engage in collective actions. It is also reported that Jeon, a man in his 20s known as the 'Green Jumper Man,' who was arrested for damaging court property with a fire extinguisher and a rod during the Western District Court riot, is a member of the MZ Jayugyeolsadae.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
