Policemen and firefighters handle the scene at the entrance of the Supreme Court in Seoul on Nov. 27, 2018, after a vehicle carrying the court’s chief Kim Myeong-su was attacked with a firebomb. (image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — A man in his 70s threw a Molotov cocktail yesterday at Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su, who overlooks South Korea’s Supreme Court.
The 74-year-old man referred to only by his last name, Nam, threw the bomb at Chief Justice Kim’s car as it entered the Supreme Court building in Seoul’s southern district.
The man had been staging one-man protests in front of the Supreme Court building for the last three months after becoming angry when a previous civil case was not ruled in his favor.
Although instances of one-man protests have been frequent throughout the years, this is the first time someone attempted to exercise physical violence against the chief justice, signaling the fall of the court’s reputation stemming from recent controversies that saw members of the judicial branch abuse their powers.
In a statement, an association of lawyers practicing in Seoul suggested that the act of terrorism was brought upon the Supreme Court itself as the result of rulings that went against the court’s independence as guaranteed by the nation’s constitution.
Meanwhile, an official at the Supreme Court said that it would increase security measures when the chief justice or other court justices go to and from work.
H. S. Seo (hsseo@koreabizwire.com)
