Shin Hye-sik and 3 others indicted over West Seoul District Court riot; charged with aiding and abetting

[Financial News] Four people, including Shin Hye-sik, operator of the YouTube channel Sinihan Su, have been indicted on suspicion of inciting the riot at the Seoul Western District Court. However, the Prosecution Office charged them with aiding and abetting instead of incitement, the charge applied by police.
According to legal sources on the 20th, the Seoul Western District Prosecution Office indicted four conservative-leaning YouTubers, including Shin, without detention on the 16th on charges including aiding and abetting aggravated trespass into a building and special obstruction of official duties.
They are accused of helping those involved commit crimes in connection with the riot at the Seoul Western District Court, which took place shortly after an arrest warrant was issued for former President Yoon Suk Yeol on January 19 last year. Some defendants, including Shin, also face charges of violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act and obstructing general traffic.
Earlier, the Security Investigation Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency investigated the case on the belief that there was an organized chain of command and orders running from aides to Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church to operatives on the ground. Police believed that Shin and others had relayed Jeon’s remarks and other statements, prompting participants in the riot to decide to commit the crimes.
Accordingly, on March 25, police referred the case to prosecutors, applying charges of inciting aggravated trespass into a building and special obstruction of official duties against Shin and the others. Police also sought an arrest warrant for Shin, but it was returned twice at the prosecution stage.
The Prosecution Office, however, concluded that their actions did not rise to the level of incitement—that is, causing another person to resolve to commit a crime—and indicted them on charges of aiding and abetting.
Two church officials who were referred to prosecutors along with the others—a personal secretary to Jeon surnamed Nam and a Sarang Jeil Church pastor surnamed Lee—were cleared due to insufficient evidence. The charge against Lee of violating the Act on the Collection and Use of Donations was also dropped, with a decision not to prosecute.
Meanwhile, Pastor Jeon, who was indicted earlier on charges including inciting aggravated trespass into a building and inciting special obstruction of official duties, is currently on trial at the Seoul Western District Court. The next hearing is scheduled for the 21st.
[email protected] Choi Seung-han Reporter