Pastor attends arrest warrant hearing over courthouse riot

▲ Jeon Kwang-hoon, a conservative activist pastor, answers reporters' questions before attending his arrest warrant hearing at the Seoul Western District Court in the capital on Jan. 13, 2026. (Yonhap)

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Pastor attends arrest warrant hearing over courthouse riot

SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) -- Jeon Kwang-hoon, a conservative activist pastor, appeared at a Seoul court Tuesday to attend a hearing on his potential arrest over his alleged involvement in last year's courthouse riot committed by supporters of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Jeon is accused of being behind pro-Yoon protesters' violence at the Seoul Western District Court on Jan. 19 last year, following the court's decision to extend Yoon's detention over his martial law declaration in December 2024.

The pastor at Seoul's Sarang Jeil Church, who is known for leading numerous rallies in support of Yoon after the martial law, reportedly urged the rally participants to exercise their right of resistance. As of last month, a total of 141 people had been indicted for their involvement in the riot.

Jeon again denied all charges while arriving at the same court shortly before 10 a.m.

"A right-wing president has never picked a fight or made an accusation against me. But after a left-wing president took office, they are nervously trying to arrest me," he told reporters in front of the court.

"I suspect (the police) applied for the arrest warrant at the direction of the office of the presidential secretary for civil affairs," the pastor said. He will be sent to a police detention facility to await the court's decision, which is expected to be released Tuesday night at the earliest.

The pastor was previously arrested twice in 2017 and 2020 on charges of illegal election campaigning.

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