This undated file photo shows the Seoul Western District Court in the capital after rioters entered the courthouse on Jan. 19, 2025. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, August 1 (Korea Bizwire) — A 19-year-old man was sentenced to five years in prison Friday on charges of violence and attempted arson during a riot related to former President Yoon Suk Yeol in January.
The Seoul Western District Court handed down the sentence to the man, surnamed Shim, for trespassing at the same court building through a broken window and assaulting a police officer during the riot on Jan. 19.
It marked the heaviest sentence handed down for those who have been indicted in connection with the riot, which was prompted by the court’s decision to extend Yoon’s detention over his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law.
Currently, 83 of the 128 people indicted over the riot have been sentenced.
“A heavy sentence is inevitable as (the defendant) also attempted arson by buying a lighter from a nearby convenience store, posing serious harm to the judiciary and endangering public safety,” the court said.
Separately, a 48-year-old surnamed Lee was also sentenced to three years in prison for participating in the riot.
Lee was indicted on charges of damaging a judge’s office door after entering the courthouse during the riot.
(Yonhap)
