An office inside Seoul Western District Court is severely damaged following an intrusion by Yoon Suk Yeol supporters. Yonhap

Sunday's unprecedented intrusion and violence at Seoul Western District Court, triggered by enraged supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol after the issuance of a warrant to arrest him, marked a troubling and dark chapter in Korean judicial history.

The attack, led by radical supporters and far-right YouTubers, has been described as judicial terrorism.

While those who stormed the court did not belong to a single organization, they were united by a shared determination to punish the court for issuing what Yoon's supporters view as an illegal warrant.

Figures such as Jun Kwang-hoon, the pastor of Sarang Jeil Church and leader of the far-right "Taegukgi Brigade" (named after the Korean national flag), along with conservative YouTubers with over a million subscribers, played a key role in fueling the flames of anger.

Chaos at court

Thousands gathered around the district court in Mapo over two days, despite no officially registered protests. These guerrilla-style gatherings violated the Assembly and Demonstration Act, which prohibits protests within 100 meters of court buildings.

Dozens of Yoon supporters camped outside the court's main gate from dawn on Saturday, defying police orders and eventually being forcibly dispersed. As Yoon's warrant hearing began, over 10,000 demonstrators, according to police estimates, surged through barricades and reached the court's walls.

No single organization spearheaded the protests, but conservative groups and YouTubers mobilized resources to amplify the unrest. One man, believed to be a YouTuber, stood atop a loudspeaker-equipped vehicle, chanting slogans such as "illegal arrest" and "dismiss the warrant," which thousands of protesters echoed in unison.

Later that day, the conservative pastor urged participants at his downtown rally to head to the court, further swelling the crowd. Major far-right YouTube channels, including Ko Sung-kuk TV and God's Hand, also urged their audiences to join the protests.

Yoon Suk Yeol supporters climb over the wall at Seoul Western District Court in Mapo, Seoul, before retreating. Yonhap

Violence erupts

The protest turned violent early on Sunday, when news broke around 3 a.m. that Yoon's arrest warrant had been issued. About 100 protesters, led by men in their 20s and 30s, broke through police lines and headed to the court's back entrance.

Some physically overpowered officers, stole riot shields, and used fire extinguishers to smash windows and doors, clearing the way for others to storm the court building.

The intruders searched the building floor by floor, damaging property before police apprehended them. Of the 46 individuals apprehended for trespassing, a significant number were men in their 20s and 30s.

Among the arrested were several YouTubers livestreaming the events. The operator of the YouTube channel Rock TV (www.youtube.com/@TV-ROCK) was apprehended on-site for unlawful entry after following protesters into the building.

A far-right YouTuber, Song, 32, who runs a conservative channel (www.youtube.com/@RedOUTT) with 820,000 subscribers, was taken into custody while broadcasting outside the court. Before his apprehension, Song said on his livestream, "If any 20-30-year-olds arrested need legal fees, I'll help. The judge issuing the warrant is the one breaking the law."

Windows at Seoul Western District Court in Mapo, Seoul, remain shattered after being damaged by supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol following the issuance of his arrest warrant, Sunday. Newsis

Adding fuel to fire

Some conservative groups supported the violence from behind the scenes.

Bae In-kyu, head of New Men's Solidarity, known for its anti-communist and anti-feminist stance, urged his YouTube followers during a livestream to delete any videos showing protesters breaking windows in order to avoid police scrutiny.

Despite police warnings of strict consequences, the protests continued. On Sunday, Yoon's supporters marched to the Constitutional Court, chanting, "Stop the illegal arrest!"

While organizers claimed these were spontaneous gatherings, police apprehended four more individuals, including one man who climbed over the wall of the Constitutional Court.

The far-right YouTuber group Free YouTube Alliance, led by Shin Hye-sik of God's Hand, held a press conference demanding the release of those arrested during the protests.

A total of 87 individuals were taken into custody from Saturday to early Sunday from Yoon's supporters.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.