Poured Oil Inside Court After Breaking In
A man in his 30s who broke into the court and conspired to commit arson during the Western District Court riot has been sentenced to prison.
On August 22, the Criminal Division 11 of the Seoul Western District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Woohyun) sentenced Son (36), who was charged with special trespassing of a building, obstruction of official duties by special means, and attempted arson of an occupied building, to four years and six months in prison.
Son was accused of breaking into the Western District Court on January 19, immediately after former President Yoon was arrested, damaging a closed-circuit (CC) TV, and assaulting police officers. He was also charged with receiving a jerry can from Shim, known as "Twoblocknam" (19), who attempted arson at the time, and pouring oil inside the first floor of the court for about 15 seconds.
The court stated, "Pouring oil is generally considered a preparatory act for starting a fire," adding, "It is difficult to believe that he could not have anticipated the possibility of someone setting fire to the oil he had poured." The court further explained the sentencing rationale by stating, "Such actions not only threaten the judiciary but also pose a significant risk of causing serious harm to public safety and the lives, bodies, or property of many innocent people."
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