The urgent stories of the "West Freedom Youth," who had no choice but to throw themselves off a cliff knowing it was a cliff, and the lawyers who represented them, have been compiled into a single book. 

The new book, 'Quiet' (published by Jiwoo Publishing), meticulously details how the media distorted the case and labeled the youths involved as "rioters" through the Seoul Western District Court case that occurred on January 19, 2025. 

Furthermore, through the letters of the West Freedom Youth, it poignantly captures the scars of that day, their stand against the darkness and injustice of the era, which will never be erased by the passage of time. 

The authors are seven human rights lawyers: Attorney Yoo Jeong-hwa, who is currently serving as legal counsel for President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee; Attorney Kim Ji-mi, legal counsel for former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyeon; Attorney Im Eung-su, co-secretary-general of the West Freedom Lawyers Association; and Attorney Yeon Chwi-hyeon, co-representative of the West Freedom Lawyers Association, along with the "West Freedom Youth."

Days When the Flow Changed Due to 'Chance' and 'Accidental' Circumstances

Falsehoods are highly contagious. Public opinion swayed by lies spreads faster among the masses than the truth. Unjust acts, where some are arrested and others are not even detained based on political ideology, run rampant. Not only that, but we often witness the true faces of those who erect "invisible partitions" between people.

What happened on that day?

From the night of January 18, 2025, to the early morning of January 19, some of the citizens peacefully protesting around the Seoul Western District Court entered the courthouse and damaged public property.

It happened in an instant. State authorities arrested the citizens on the spot and initiated an investigation.

From the night of January 18, 2025, to the early morning of January 19, some of the citizens peacefully protesting around the Seoul Western District Court entered the courthouse and damaged public property. State authorities arrested the citizens on the spot and initiated an investigation. [Photo: Yonhap News]

The citizens (West Uprising Freedom Youth) were helpless until they were booked and investigated. The state authorities had unlawfully arrested the very incumbent president they had elected, completely disregarding the principles and procedural justice of the Criminal Procedure Act.

In fact, judicial police officers and prosecutors indiscriminately and illegally detained the West Uprising Freedom Youth without even adhering to the basic principles of the Criminal Procedure Act.

From January 19, 2025, to April 21, a total of 143 suspects were booked, and 95 were arrested.

Amidst this chaos, some principled lawyers feared that the principles and procedural justice of the Criminal Procedure Act, which were not upheld even for the incumbent president, would be further disregarded and human rights would be violated for the West Uprising Freedom Youth.

And, lawyers with the same belief began to gather one by one, to help the youth exercise their "right to counsel."

The More They Become Clear, The More Inexplicable Those Days Become

Even if something earth-shattering happens to someone, the real world never stops. Even if wars break out or natural disasters occur somewhere on Earth, the world does not stop.

Those who are ruthlessly indifferent to the plight of others. If it's not their own business, they close their eyes, ears, and mouths when someone's sky falls.

It is a familiar reality to be more interested in the scenery on a rectangular phone screen. Even though about a year has passed since the Seoul Western District Court incident, during which so many youths were arrested and their human rights were violated, the world has not changed at all.

Facing the powerful law that only focuses on apprehending citizens while ignoring the truth, the seven human rights lawyers say the following:

"A criminal trial is not a procedure to punish the guilty, but a procedure to avoid punishing the innocent."

Indeed, the purpose of criminal procedure is not to punish the guilty. It is to uncover the truth and, in that process, to protect human dignity.

Article 27 of the Constitution stipulates "the right to be tried by a judge," and Article 12 states, "All citizens shall have the freedom of their person."

These are not mere sentences but procedural promises that must be followed when criminal justice restricts human freedom.

However, state authorities shook these promises by indicting the youth en masse under the charge of "accomplice." Investigation agencies requested arrest warrants indiscriminately without distinction of severity, and the courts detained most of the defendants in custody without sufficient deliberation.

The authors emphasize, "The law should not be a tool for social retribution. When the state's power of punishment becomes an instrument for confirming emotions, the rule of law collapses."

'Quiet' teaches the lesson that what happened in an instant in the face of immense injustice should not be judged politically. It also appeals to readers with the hope that exaggerated narratives related to the case will not be created.

The book poses questions in the minds of those who were silenced after the Seoul Western District Court incident, those who remain silent because it's not their business, and those who complicate a simple truth to distort and hide it, and then remain silent to avoid being discovered. It asks what challenges remain for South Korea.

By Reporter Im Yo-hee