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Police to deploy 2,000 riot officers to Seoul courthouse set to rule on Yoon's detention

Published: 08 Jul. 2025, 16:08 Updated: 08 Jul. 2025, 16:42

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol leaves the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul on July 6 after being questioned by the special probe counsel. [NEWS1]

Police will deploy 2,000 riot officers around the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Wednesday as a judge reviews whether to issue a detention warrant for former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Tuesday it would “mobilize sufficient personnel and equipment to manage the situation in a stable manner and respond strictly to any illegal or violent acts with a zero-tolerance policy.”

Approximately 30 police units, totaling around 2,000 officers, will be stationed near the courthouse, along with 350 pieces of equipment for barricades and crowd control, including safety fences. The court's decision on Yoon's detention is expected late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.

The police cited the incident of the Seoul Western District Court by a far-right mob earlier this year as a cautionary precedent and said that in the event of any similar illegal or violent attempts, they would “use all available equipment, including pepper spray, and detain perpetrators on the spot.” They also vowed to “track down and bring to justice those who incite unlawful activity.”

Yoon’s pretrial detention hearing is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. Wednesday at the Seoul Central District Court, and the former president is expected to appear in court in person.

If the judge determines detention is necessary and issues the warrant, Yoon would be taken back into custody just four months after he was initially released on March 8, when the court previously canceled his arrest warrant.

BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]