Then-President Yoon Suk Yeol waves to supporters as he steps out of a vehicle in front of his Hannam-dong residence in Seoul on March 8 last year. At right, young men who climbed over the fence of the Seoul Western District Court to demand Yoon's release are detained by police. [Yonhap-Joint Press Corps]
Then-President Yoon Suk Yeol waves to supporters as he steps out of a vehicle in front of his Hannam-dong residence in Seoul on March 8 last year. At right, young men who climbed over the fence of the Seoul Western District Court to demand Yoon's release are detained by police. [Yonhap-Joint Press Corps]

Details have emerged about the time a Yoon Suk Yeol supporter spent at Seoul Detention Center after taking part in a violent protest at the Seoul Western District Court.

The supporter, identified only by his surname Gu, appeared on the YouTube channel "Go Seong-guk TV" on Wednesday to share anecdotes about encountering former President Yoon at the facility. Gu was reportedly arrested following the riot at the Seoul Western District Court on Jan. 19 last year, sentenced to one year and four months, and released upon completing his term in April.

Gu said he saw Yoon almost every day while they were held at the same detention center. "I watched him exercise almost every day," he said. He added that Yoon was held on the second floor while he moved between the first and third floors. "Every morning when I woke up, I would bow once in the direction of the president's room," he said.

When host Go Seong-guk asked what he said to Yoon, Gu replied, "I told him to enjoy his meal." He added that he would stand on his tiptoes to watch Yoon exercise each day. "I think being able to see him gave me strength and helped me get through it," he said.

Yoon apparently never responded to the daily greetings. "There was no reply," Gu said, "but I believe he heard everything."

The riot Gu participated in erupted on Jan. 19 last year after a court issued an arrest warrant for Yoon, prompting supporters to smash through the main gate and windows of the Seoul Western District Court and storm the building.

The Supreme Court on April 30 last year handed down final guilty verdicts against 18 people, including a man surnamed Kim, who had been indicted on charges including breaking into a special structure in connection with the riot. Sentences ranged from a fine of 2 million won ($1,420) to four years in prison.

A far-right YouTuber surnamed Yu, who assaulted a police officer and damaged the court's entrance with an iron rod, received the heaviest sentence of four years. A man surnamed Lee, who broke into the seventh floor of the courthouse and damaged door locks on judges' offices, was sentenced to three years.


bbo@heraldcorp.com