Supreme Court of Korea Seeks 1.1 Billion Won in Damages from Five Over Seoul Western District Court Riot Convictions

[Financial News] The Supreme Court of Korea has filed a 1.1 billion won damages claim against five people whose convictions were finalized after they took part in a riot at the Seoul Western District Court over the issuance of an arrest warrant for former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The National Court Administration said on the 26th that it had filed a damages lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court against the five people, whose convictions for charges including unlawful entry into a special structure had been finalized. This is the first time the judiciary has directly sought damages from suspects in the so-called "Seoul Western District Court riot" case. The claim covers 1,175,899,770 won in restoration costs for material damage, plus late-payment interest.
Earlier, on January 19 last year, supporters of Yoon Suk Yeol broke into the Seoul Western District Court, where the arrest warrant for Yoon had been reviewed, after the warrant was issued. Some of the more violent participants smashed windows, assaulted police officers, and tried to force their way into a judge's chambers on the seventh floor of the courthouse.
The lawsuit filed by the Supreme Court of Korea concerns the five people whose convictions for taking part in the riot were finalized on the 26th.
The Supreme Court of Korea explained that "many facilities in the Seoul Western District Court building, including windows, entrance doors, exterior walls, office furniture, and computer systems, were severely damaged in the riot" and that "court employees suffered severe psychological shock."
It added that "the riot was a collective act of violence and destruction against a courthouse where the state's judicial function is carried out," and stressed that it was "a grave illegal act that went beyond simple vandalism or violence and seriously undermined the function and authority of the court, the last bastion for protecting the people's sovereignty and the rule of law."
The court also said that the riot "disrupted the constitutional order and directly threatened judicial independence," adding that "it is absolutely necessary to hold those who took part in the riot, a serious incident that shook the foundations of the rule of law and democracy, strictly legally accountable."
The court said the lawsuit was filed after a prior legal review by the litigation support center for court-related state lawsuits.
[email protected] Jung Kyung-soo Reporter