AFP Videos – France
In Seoul, the assault on the court by pro-Yoon livestreams on the internet
South Korean rocker Choi Jin-ho, 150,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel RockTV, films himself live on Sunday during the unprecedented assault on a Seoul court which has just extended the detention of suspended President Yook Suk Yeol. He is filming tirelessly his livestream for seven hours, surrounded by hundreds of other angry supporters of the Korean leader suspended from office and arrested Wednesday for his failed attempt to impose martial law. His video shows scenes of chaos: furious pro-Yoons entering the court, destroying doors and windows along the way with fire extinguishers, before climbing the stairs of the building. “Why isn’t everyone here? Come on, everyone!” says a demonstrator who can be heard in this video, still available on Youtube. Upon the announcement around 3:00 a.m. local time (6:00 p.m. GMT Saturday) of its decision to keep Mr. Yoon in detention for 20 days, the Court of the western district of the capital triggers the anger of tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of its doors on Saturday. AFP journalists then see hundreds of police officers rushing into the court to dislodge furious pro-Yoon, the police reporting dozens of arrests during this “intolerable, illegal and violent incident”. – Far-right Youtubers – The police then announce an investigation into the involvement of Youtubers affiliated with the far-right in the taking of assault on the court, but the demonstrators do not seem at all disconcerted. The president’s detention “signifies the fall of the rule of law in South Korea,” says Cho Min-shik, a 32-year-old construction worker. The protester proudly shows his injured wrist after breaking a window and entering the court with other protesters. From his detention center, the suspended president regularly sends letters of thanks and encouragement to his unconditional supporters who also include evangelical priests. His legal team insists at the same time that his arrest is illegal. In front of the court, the epicenter of anger, the police decide to deploy 1,400 officers to contain the demonstrations, which, according to experts, are “unprecedented” in South Korea. Mr. Yoon’s legal team accuses, in a reported the court and the police for these incidents. The court’s decision to extend the president’s detention period means that “enraged citizens are continuing the protests, and this is resulting in unfortunate violent incidents.” Accusations are mounting that the police, who were lenient towards illegal demonstrations by unions, now violently provoke and repress peaceful demonstrations by citizens”, insists the legal team of the suspended president. – Conspiracy theories – Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested on the 15 January after an assault by the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) and police officers on his official residence, a first in South Korea for a serving head of state. But the president, under the influence of several investigations including one for “rebellion” and accused of having shaken democracy by declaring martial law by surprise, refuses to back down. The one who remains technically at the head of state although suspended pending the Court’s decision, promised to “fight until the end”. Many of Yoon’s supporters interviewed by AFP repeated conspiracy theories , notably claiming that the parliamentary elections in South Korea last year, won by the opposition, were rigged, a thesis defended by Mr. Yoon. – “Stop the steal” – Mr. Yoon’s supporters frequently brandish American flags and are adopting the “Stop the steal” rhetoric associated with US President-elect Donald Trump, whose supporters stormed the Capitol in Washington in an attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat. These rhetorics reflect misinformation about election fraud, which has long circulated among far-right conspiracy theorists in South Korea. Carried away by nationalist and fiercely anti-communist sentiment, their vitriolic charges target liberal politicians, whom they accuse of being North Korean agents plotting with Pyongyang to destabilize South Korean democracy. “Yoon must return to power to get rid of all the communists in the country,” says Ms Lim, who has 5,000 followers on her YouTube channel and describes herself as a Christian evangelical.kjk-hj/ceb/mtp/alh-sba/fio
