Following the vandalism at the Seoul Western District Court in January, court officials are seen cleaning up and restoring damaged facilities and items. 2025.1.19 cityboy@yna.co.kr

Four men involved in the incident at the Seoul Western District Court appealed their sentences, but their prison terms were upheld in the second trial.

The Seoul Western District Court's Criminal Appeals Division 3-1 (Presiding Judge Ban Jung-woo) dismissed the appeals of Mr. Kim (35) and Mr. Cho (41) on the 8th. They had each received sentences of 1 year and 6 months, and 1 year in prison, respectively, for charges including trespassing into a special structure.

Similarly, the Seoul Western District Court's Criminal Appeals Division 3-2 (Presiding Judge Jung Sung-kyun) dismissed the appeals of Mr. So (28) and Mr. Cho (30), who had been sentenced to 1 year and 2 years and 6 months in prison, respectively, for charges including trespassing into a special structure and damaging public property, upholding the first-instance verdicts.

They are accused of throwing bricks and glass bottles at the court building in the early morning of January 19th, breaking the exterior walls and windows, and entering the premises to damage interior fixtures, reportedly in a fit of rage over news of former President Yoon Suk-yeol's impending arrest.

The court stated that their actions shook the foundation of the rule of law, making their crimes particularly egregious and necessitating severe punishment. Therefore, the prison sentences imposed in the first trial were deemed not excessively harsh.