Two men were handed prison sentences by a South Korean court on Wednesday, May 14, for taking part in a violent protest in January, during which backers of ousted former president Yoon Suk Yeol stormed a courthouse. The unrest followed a judge’s decision to prolong Yoon’s detention after he briefly declared martial law, an act that led to him becoming the first sitting president in South Korea to be taken into custody.
The Seoul Western District Court handed a one-and-a-half-year prison term to a 35-year-old man surnamed Kim and a one-year sentence to a 28-year-old man surnamed So. Both were convicted of trespassing during the unrest at the district courthouse in western Seoul on January 19. This marks the first judicial decision related to the courthouse riot.
During the January 19 incident, dozens of protesters forced their way into the Seoul Western District Court compound after the judge extended Yoon’s detention. The crowd used fire extinguishers to break doors and shatter windows, damaging court property and attacking police officers present at the scene.
The two convicted men, Kim and So, were among those who entered the building. Kim also faced an additional charge of assault for pushing officers. Prosecutors had demanded a three-year sentence for Kim and two years for So, but the court handed down lighter punishments, citing their admission of guilt during the initial hearing on April 30.
The court, in its ruling, described the event as a serious threat to the nation’s judiciary, calling it a “crime driven by obsession and a desire for immediate retaliation.” It said the defendants viewed the court’s decision as a political plot, and their actions were a reaction to what they perceived as an attack on their beliefs.
Experts say the riot reflects rising political polarization in South Korea, particularly after Yoon’s controversial martial law declaration in December. Although his office framed the move as a way to break the political deadlock, critics viewed it as an undemocratic overreach that triggered unrest among his most ardent supporters.
Yoon, who had been politically weakened since the opposition’s parliamentary victory in April last year, received backing from far-right influencers and religious figures after imposing martial law. Many of these supporters have been linked to the violent courthouse demonstration, underscoring the growing influence of extremist groups in national politics.
Yoon, who is currently facing trial on insurrection charges, has been accused of indirectly encouraging the courthouse violence. Weeks before the incident, he sent a message to his staunch supporters, claiming the nation was “in danger” and vowing to stand by them “to the very end.”
Authorities have charged dozens over the riot, with prosecutors indicting 63 individuals in February. A separate sentencing hearing for four others accused of assaulting police and reporters and unlawfully entering the courthouse is set for Friday.
