Police announced on the 7th that Jeon Kwang-hoon, the pastor of Sarang First Church, who was reported for inciting insurrection, is being analyzed for past statements and is under legal review.
Park Hyun-soo, the acting chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, noted during a press briefing that "11 reports have been received regarding Pastor Jeon, and the investigations of the complainants have been completed. The examinations of 12 witnesses have also been completed."
He continued, "We are analyzing the statements made by Pastor Jeon so far, and we are reviewing some of the interrogation records of the suspects who have been detained in relation to the Western District Court incident," and added, "We are continuing the investigation by aligning legal principles through that."
Earlier, a civic group reported Pastor Jeon to the police for inciting insurrection in January. The group claimed that the chaos caused by supporters opposing President Yoon Suk-yeol's arrest in front of the Seoul Western District Court stemmed from Pastor Jeon's incitement. They also raised concerns about statements made by Pastor Jeon, such as the need for a "revolutionary emergency measure."
A police official stated regarding Pastor Jeon's case that "because he has been reported for inciting insurrection, the Security Investigation Division, which oversees insurrection cases, is in charge of the matter." However, he added, "Through legal review, we do not exclusively conduct the investigation on a single charge when possibilities arise." Depending on the outcome of the legal review, even if other charges, such as obstructing the execution of special public duties, are applied to Pastor Jeon, the Security Investigation Team will continue the investigation.
Investigations are also underway for Jeon Han-gil, a Korean history instructor, and Yoon Sang-hyun, a member of the People's Power Party, who have been reported for inciting insurrection, in addition to Pastor Jeon. A police official stated regarding Jeon Han-gil, "We have completed some of the complainant investigations, and some complainant investigations are still scheduled." In the case of Member Yoon, it was noted that "the complainant investigation has nearly been completed, and further investigations are scheduled to continue." They were reported by a civic group on the 5th for "inciting insurrection by spreading false information."