Out of the 49 individuals who stood trial for participating in the riot at the Western District Court, 40 were sentenced to prison in the first trial. Sim Mo (19), who was reported to have attempted arson at the court, received the heaviest sentence of five years in prison.
On August 1, the 11th Criminal Division of the Seoul Western District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Woohyun) held a sentencing hearing for Sim and 48 others charged with special trespassing of a building and other offenses. Sim and 39 others were sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to five years. Eight people, including Lee, received one-year prison sentences suspended for two years, and documentary director Jung Yunseok was fined 2 million won.
Presiding Judge Park stated, "No justification can ever legitimize attacking the court by illegal means simply because the court's decision differs from one's personal beliefs." He added, "However, the court considered individual circumstances, such as the degree and scope of the court intrusion, the time spent inside the court, and the level of violence against public officials."
The defendants were accused of storming the Western District Court on January 19 after becoming enraged by the news that an arrest warrant had been issued for former President Yoon Suk-yeol. Sim, who was sentenced to five years in prison, reportedly reached the seventh floor of the courthouse and attempted to set fire to the building. Lee, a special missionary at Sarang Jeil Church who received a three-year sentence, played a leading role among those crowding the hallway in search of the judge who issued the arrest warrant.
Regarding some defendants who received suspended sentences, Presiding Judge Park explained, "They only entered the court premises and did not use physical force against police officers with collective power while on the premises."
Jung, who was fined, was acquitted of the special trespassing charge as it was recognized that he did not use collective force.
Meanwhile, in the sentencing for 10 people indicted for blocking a vehicle belonging to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) during the Western District Court riot, Kim and Jang were sentenced to two years and one year and six months in prison, respectively. The remaining seven received suspended prison sentences, and one was fined.
Park Ji-won, the sole presiding judge of the Criminal Division 1 at the Western District Court, sentenced Yoon (56), who was charged with special trespassing and obstruction of official duties, to three years and six months in prison. Ok (22), who reportedly entered the court wearing a black mask and threw a fire extinguisher at a glass door, also received three years and six months in prison. Choi (35) and Park (35), who participated in the riot, were sentenced to one year and one month, and one year and four months in prison, respectively.
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