Court dismisses arrest warrant request for student intruder into U.S. base

All News 15:29 March 13, 2023

SEOUL, March 13 (Yonhap) -- A court on Monday rejected police's request for an arrest warrant against a progressive student activist accused of breaking into a U.S. military base in Yongsan, central Seoul, last week.

The student activist, who reportedly belongs to the so-called Korean Progressive University Student Union, staged a surprise intrusion into the U.S. military compound last Friday, together with 17 other members of the union, to protest South Korean-U.S. joint military drills.

Progressive activists hold a news conference in front of the Seoul Western District Court on March 13, 2023, ahead of the court's arrest warrant hearing on a student activist accused of trespassing into a U.S. military base in central Seoul. (Yonhap)

They allegedly did not report their protest rally to the police in advance and were taken into police custody. The Seoul Yongsan Police Station then requested an arrest warrant for the student activist on charges of trespassing and assembly law violation after setting free the 17 other union members Sunday.

But the Seoul Western District Court dismissed the arrest warrant request, citing low flight risk and little chance of the destruction of evidence.

ycm@yna.co.kr
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