---
title: "South Korea prosecutors indict 63 over courthouse rampage by Yoon supporters"
description: "SEOUL, Feb 10 (Reuters) - South Korean prosecutors indicted on Monday 63 people for their role in storming a court building last month to protest the detention of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, with some facing charges carrying up to a seven-year jail term, an official said."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Yoon Suk Yeol"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-02-10-south-korea-prosecutors-indict-63-over-courthouse-rampage-by-yoon-supporters/"
published: "2025-02-10T12:46:19"
updated: "2025-02-10T12:46:21"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 219
---

# South Korea prosecutors indict 63 over courthouse rampage by Yoon supporters

> SEOUL, Feb 10 (Reuters) - South Korean prosecutors indicted on Monday 63 people for their role in storming a court building last month to protest the detention of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, with some facing charges carrying up to a seven-year jail term, an official said.

By Reuters · Published 10 February 2025, 14:46 SAST · Updated 10 February 2025, 14:46 SAST

## Key points
- In a scene that could only be described as a courtroom coup, hundreds of fervent Yoon supporters stormed the Seoul Western District Court, turning a legal proceeding into a raucous riot after the president's arrest for martial law, leaving behind shattered decorum and a trail of indictments that could rival a Netflix drama.
- Hundreds of Yoon supporters stormed the Seoul Western District Court, causing significant damage and trespassing into judges' chambers.
- The unrest followed a judge's approval to extend Yoon's detention for declaring martial law, marking him as South Korea's first sitting president to be arrested.
- Sixty-three individuals face serious charges, with 62 currently detained, amidst ongoing investigations that may lead to more prosecutions.
- The violent incident has sparked widespread condemnation, viewed as a severe threat to the judiciary and the rule of law in South Korea.

## Content

Hundreds of angry Yoon supporters [storm](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL2N3OE043&linkedFromStory=true)ed the Seoul Western District Court in the pre-dawn hours of January 19, destroying property and trespassing into judges' chambers as some live-streamed the incident.

They broke through a police cordon at the court after a judge approved a warrant to extend the detention of Yoon for declaring a short-lived [martial law](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3OV0GA&linkedFromStory=true) on December 3. He became the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested and has been indicted for insurrection.

Of the 63 people indicted on charges that include aggravated obstruction of official duty, destruction of official property, attempted arson and assault, 62 remain in detention, the prosecution official said by telephone.

Eight others were still being investigated and there may be more people prosecuted, the official said.

The scenes of an angry mob overpowering police as they went on a rampage through the court building stunned the country and drew condemnation from government officials, who called it a grave challenge to the judiciary and the rule of law.

Conviction on a charge of aggravated obstruction of official duty carries a maximum prison sentence of seven years, according to court sentencing guidelines.

Yoon is also under a separate Constitutional Court trial reviewing parliament's impeachment accusing him of violating his constitutional duty as president.

(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Ed Davies)