Pastor Jeon Gwang-hun of Sarang Jeil Church, suspected of being behind the disturbance at the Western District Court, appeared at the court on the 13th for a detention review.
The Seoul Western District Court will hold a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant review) for Jeon starting at 10:30 a.m. that day.
Jeon arrived at the Western District Court at about 9:51 a.m. that day. Before entering the court, he held a press conference and said, "When a conservative president was in office, I never picked a fight or filed a complaint, but now that a liberal president is in office, to put it bluntly, they are going into fits to detain me," adding, "My guess is that the police applied for the warrant at the instruction of the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs."
He then held up a police search certificate stating that "the search showed there were no evidentiary items," saying, "The police came to conduct a search and seizure and wrote that it was unrelated to the Western District Court incident," and asked, "So why are they making me undergo another warrant review?"
He also argued that the Western District Court disturbance had nothing to do with him. When asked by reporters, "In the police investigation, did you say that the very issuance of the court warrant by the Western District Court was illegal, that the judge was targeted, and that orders were given?" he said, "At first, the prosecutor sent it back," adding, "What I always stress is not to clash with the police and not to confront liberal demonstrators, so for 7 to 8 years we have not had a single incident or accident."
In front of the court that day, about 70 people, including Sarang Jeil Church affiliates supporting Jeon, crowded the area. As Jeon entered the court, they also shouted, "Dismiss the warrant."
On the 8th, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office requested an arrest warrant for Jeon on charges including aggravated trespass into a residence and instigating obstruction of official duties with dangerous means.
Jeon is suspected of using religious faith to exert psychological control (gaslighting) and of funding close associates and conservative YouTubers to incite the disturbance at the Western District Court on Jan. 19 last year by supporters of former President Yoon Suk-yeol.
A decision on whether Jeon will be detained is expected as early as that afternoon.